Where can I take an old car battery?

Return it to a battery retailer such as an auto parts store, or take it to a household hazardous waste program. Many scrap yards and some landfills also accept lead-acid batteries.

Can I throw lithium-ion batteries in the trash?

No. EPA says lithium-ion batteries should not go in household trash or recycling bins because they can start fires when crushed. Tape the terminals or bag each one and take it to a battery drop-off or HHW program.

Can alkaline batteries go in the trash?

EPA says most communities allow alkaline and zinc-carbon batteries in household trash, though recycling is preferred. Check your local rules, since a few areas require recycling.

How do I prepare batteries for recycling?

Cover the terminals with electrical tape or put each battery in its own plastic bag. Contact the manufacturer before moving a swollen or damaged lithium battery.

Where to Take Car Batteries and Household Batteries

Updated 2026-10-23

Batteries look alike in a junk drawer, but each chemistry has its own disposal route. Sorting them takes a minute and keeps a fire out of your trash truck. Check the label for the type before you decide where it goes.

Car batteries (lead-acid)

Car, truck, boat, motorcycle and lawn tractor batteries are lead-acid batteries. EPA says they contain lead and sulfuric acid and should not go in the trash or recycling. Return them to a battery retailer or take them to a household hazardous waste (HHW) program.

Most auto parts stores and many tire and service shops take old car batteries. Some landfills and transfer stations also have a battery drop-off next to the scale house, and scrap yards often buy them. Search our hazardous waste page or a scrap metal recycler near you.

Carry the battery upright in a plastic tub or box so acid cannot leak onto your seats. Wear gloves if the case is cracked or the terminals are crusted.

Lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries power phones, laptops, power tools, e-bikes and vapes. EPA says they should not go in household garbage or recycling bins. When a truck or sorting machine crushes one, it can catch fire. EPA notes a rise in fires at recycling and waste facilities that the battery industry has linked to improper disposal.

To prepare them, put each battery or device in its own plastic bag, or cover the terminals with electrical tape. If a battery is swollen or damaged, contact the manufacturer for handling instructions before you move it.

Removable batteries, such as power tool packs, go to battery recyclers, retailer take-back programs or your local HHW program.
Devices with built-in batteries, such as phones and laptops, go whole to a certified electronics recycler, a retailer take-back program or a local electronics or HHW program. See electronics recycling.
Electric vehicle and home storage batteries go back through the dealer, manufacturer or installer.

Single-use lithium and button batteries

Non-rechargeable lithium batteries, such as camera and smoke detector batteries, also stay out of trash and recycling bins. Tape the terminals or bag each one, then take them to a battery recycler, a take-back retailer or an HHW program. EPA notes that most coin and button batteries are now lithium. They are a swallowing hazard for young children, so store used ones out of reach until you drop them off.

Nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride

Ni-Cd and Ni-MH batteries are the older rechargeables found in cordless phones, some power tools and rechargeable AA and AAA cells. EPA says Ni-Cd batteries do not belong in the trash. Use the same routes as lithium-ion: battery recyclers, retailer take-back or HHW.

Call2Recycle

Call2Recycle is a battery stewardship program with public drop-off boxes, many of them in hardware and home improvement stores. Enter your ZIP code on call2recycle.org to find the nearest location and check which battery types it takes. EPA lists Call2Recycle and Earth911 as locator tools but does not endorse either service.

Alkaline batteries

Standard AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volt alkaline batteries are the exception. EPA says most communities allow alkaline and zinc-carbon batteries in household trash, though it recommends recycling them where you can. A few local programs and states require recycling, so check with your solid waste office. Tape the ends of 9-volt batteries before storing them together, since the terminals can short against other metal.

Quick sorting list

Car, boat, mower: auto parts store, battery retailer or HHW.
Phone, laptop, tool pack, e-bike: tape or bag, then battery drop-off, electronics recycler or HHW.
Coin cells and camera lithium: tape or bag, then battery drop-off or HHW.
Alkaline AA to D: trash in most areas, recycling where offered.

Batteries are one of several items most dumps refuse. See what not to take to the dump for the rest.

Sources: EPA: Used Household Batteries, EPA: Used Lithium-Ion Batteries, Call2Recycle: Battery Drop-Off Locator