Medical device batteries range from non-rechargeable lithium packs in AEDs to rechargeable lithium-ion packs in infusion pumps, monitors and mobility equipment. They are regulated as lithium batteries for shipping, and devices that store data add a privacy step. This page explains identification, handling, shipping and what hospitals and clinics should consider.
How do you identify medical device batteries?
Read the label on the battery or the device specification sheet. Automated external defibrillators commonly use non-rechargeable lithium manganese dioxide packs, which are lithium metal batteries, while infusion pumps, patient monitors, ventilator backup units, portable suction units and mobility scooters often use rechargeable lithium-ion, NiMH or sealed lead-acid. The label shows chemistry, voltage, capacity and sometimes a watt-hour or lithium content rating. A short inventory with counts, photos and locations saves time when the quote is prepared and the pickup is scheduled.
The distinction matters for shipping. Non-rechargeable lithium metal batteries are UN3090 or UN3091, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are UN3480 or UN3481, and non-lithium chemistries follow different rules. Implant-adjacent devices, such as external programmers, wearable pumps and hearing aid chargers, use small cells. Implanted devices themselves are a separate issue handled by clinicians and manufacturers under medical waste and return programs, not through a battery recycling pickup. When you cannot confirm the details, tell us what you can see and we will work out the rest before pickup.
- AED packs: often lithium metal, single use, with an expiry date
- Infusion pumps and monitors: often rechargeable lithium-ion
- Check the manufacturer’s part number and any recall notice
What hazards come with medical device batteries?
The hazards depend on chemistry. Lithium metal AED packs can ignite or vent if crushed, shorted or heated, and a pack that has been discharged by use may still contain hazardous energy and reactive lithium. Lithium-ion packs in pumps and monitors can go into thermal runaway if damaged or swollen. Devices exposed to cleaning chemicals, sterilization heat or fluids may have compromised seals and corroded contacts. Training for the people who actually handle these batteries is the most effective control, and it costs far less than a single incident.
Biological contamination is a second concern. A battery or device that has been in contact with blood or body fluids is regulated medical waste, not simply a battery, and must be decontaminated or handled according to your facility’s infection control and medical waste policies before it leaves for recycling. Do not ship contaminated batteries as ordinary recycling. When in doubt, ask your biomedical engineering team and tell us what the equipment was used for.
How should you prepare medical device batteries for recycling?
Have biomedical engineering or clinical engineering remove the battery from the device where the design allows, and have them decontaminate the exterior per your infection control policy. Tape the terminals or connectors, put each battery in its own bag or in a divided container, and sort by chemistry. Keep lithium metal AED packs separate from rechargeable lithium-ion packs, and record the device model and asset tag for your records. A short checklist at the collection point keeps every pack handled the same way regardless of who is on shift.
Do not disassemble sealed packs. Batteries that are swollen, leaking, hot, dented or recalled should be isolated in a non-combustible area and flagged as damaged. If a defibrillator or other life-support device is being retired, confirm that it has been replaced and logged under your compliance program before the battery leaves. For devices that are being returned to the manufacturer, check the return terms first, since the manufacturer may take the pack back under their own program.
- Decontaminate exteriors per facility policy
- Tape terminals and bag each battery individually
- Keep lithium metal and lithium-ion packs apart
What about patient data on devices with storage?
If a device stores data, treat the device as a data-bearing asset before the battery step. Patient monitors, infusion pumps with event logs, glucose meters, tablets, wearable devices and some portable diagnostic units may hold protected health information, device logs, network credentials or patient identifiers. Battery recycling does not remove or destroy that data. Ask whether your IT security policy requires a certificate or log confirming the data was removed before the device leaves your site.
Remove or wipe storage following your organization’s HIPAA and information security policies, or route the device through an IT asset disposition process with documented data sanitization before the battery is separated. Where the battery can be removed from the device without exposing data, recycling the battery alone avoids the issue. Tell us whether you are sending battery-only loads or devices with storage so we can arrange the right stream and chain-of-custody expectations.
How are medical device batteries classified and shipped?
Lithium-ion batteries shipped alone are UN3480 and those contained in equipment are UN3481, both Class 9 under 49 CFR 173.185. Lithium metal batteries such as many AED packs are UN3090 alone or UN3091 contained in or packed with equipment, also Class 9. Small cells and batteries meeting the lithium content and watt-hour limits can use reduced requirements in some shipments, but recycling loads should be packaged conservatively with terminals protected.
Ground transport is the normal route. By air, lithium-ion batteries shipped alone are limited to 30 percent state of charge and damaged or defective batteries are forbidden. Damaged, defective or recalled batteries fall under 49 CFR 173.185(f) and need special packaging. Because medical packs vary widely, we confirm the classification for each shipment before pickup or prepaid shipping, including any units that contained fluids or were sterilized. Marking, labeling and shipping papers must match the contents, and a mismatch can cause a carrier to refuse the load.
How do hospitals and clinics manage these as universal waste, and what does it cost?
Healthcare facilities can manage spent batteries as universal waste under 40 CFR Part 273, consistent with EPA’s May 2023 memo explaining that most lithium battery waste can use that pathway. Use closed, labeled containers, keep them out of patient areas, and observe the one-year accumulation limit. Environmental services, biomedical engineering and facilities teams should agree on who collects, who stores and who signs. Employees should know what to do when a battery leaks, swells or catches fire, and that knowledge should be refreshed regularly.
Recycling recovers lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper and aluminum from lithium-ion packs, with lithium metal packs processed in dedicated streams. Lithium metal and mixed small cells have less metal value than larger lithium-ion packs. Data and decontamination steps are a separate cost. State rules vary, so check the state page, and tell us your counts and locations for a quote. Local fire and building codes may also limit how many batteries can be stored in one place, regardless of waste rules.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you take used AED batteries?
Yes, they can be recycled. Many AED packs are lithium metal batteries, so they ship as UN3090 or UN3091. Tape the terminals and tell us how many you have.
What about implanted devices like pacemakers?
Implanted or explanted devices are handled through clinicians and manufacturer or medical waste channels. They are not part of a standard battery pickup.
Does battery recycling erase patient data?
No. Wipe or remove storage first, or use a data destruction process that documents sanitization, before devices go for battery recycling.
Do contaminated devices have to be cleaned first?
Devices exposed to blood or body fluids must be decontaminated or managed as regulated medical waste under your facility’s policy before recycling.
Can we send sealed lead-acid medical batteries with lithium ones?
No. Keep them separate. Lead-acid and NiMH follow different rules, and we can quote them as separate streams.