The generation of waste batteries is increasing due to the wide application and short life span of batteries. The heavy metals used inside a battery are highly toxic and can cause harm to humans and to the environment. However, if waste batteries are recovered properly through a recycling process, precious metals inside the batteries can be extracted. In general, there are three methods for recycling waste batteries, namely pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and bio-hydrometallurgy. This article reviews and discusses the efficiency and effectiveness of these methods in recycling waste batteries. Based on the review, each recycling method has its specific characteristics. The hydrometallurgy method tends to be used for recycling Li-ion batteries while the pyrometallurgy method tends to eliminate plumbum in automotive waste batteries. In general, the hydrometallurgical method is commonly used for recycling batteries due to its shorter process and lower cost.