Packing & shipping
Sep 17, 2026·5 min read
How to pack spent alkaline batteries for a bulk load
Gaylords or drums on pallets, terminals protected, chemistries kept apart. What we check before a load moves.
Read moreBlogPacking & shipping
Lithium in the load: why it holds up everything behind it
By CMR Team·Aug 20, 2026·3 min read
The single most common reason a load slows down at our dock is a chemistry we do not process. It is almost always accidental, and it is almost always fixable before the truck leaves.
What we cannot process
- Lithium ion batteries, a fire risk and a different process
- Lithium metal batteries, a fire risk and a different process
- NiMH batteries, not currently processed
- NiCd batteries, not currently processed
- Lead acid batteries, not currently processed
- Damaged, swollen or leaking cells of any chemistry
Why one cell matters
A lithium cell that reaches size reduction can ignite. Everything behind it in the queue stops while the stream is cleared and checked, which is why our sorting stage is deliberately slow.
A mixed bin is not a problem. A mixed bin nobody mentioned is a problem.
If your bins are mixed
Tell us before the load moves. We would rather have the conversation at the quoting stage than at the dock, and in most cases there is a straightforward way to handle it.
Not sure what is in your bins?
Send us a photograph and we will tell you what we can take and what needs to go elsewhere.
Contact usTopics
- Packing & shipping
- Safety
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Read moreHave a load of spent alkaline batteries?
Tell us the volume, the chemistry and where it is sitting. We will come back with pricing and freight guidance.