Thousands of tons of zinc–carbon batteries are discarded every year around the world and are often not recycled.
Disposal varies by jurisdiction. For example, in the U.S, the state of California considers all batteries as hazardous waste when discarded, and has banned the disposal of batteries with other domestic waste.[12] In Europe, battery disposal is controlled by the WEEE Directive and Battery Directive regulations, and as such zinc-carbon batteries must not be thrown in with domestic waste. In the EU, most stores that sell batteries are required by law to accept old batteries for recycling.