How to Find an Official Battery Drop-Off Point

Start with your local waste authority. EPA's advice for household hazardous waste is to contact your local environmental, health or solid waste agency to learn about permanent or periodic collections near you¹. Many communities run such programs¹.

Where batteries can go

Which door you use depends on the battery.

• Household hazardous waste (HHW) site. Run by a town, county or regional authority. Some are open all year and some only on set days¹.
• A certified recycler that accepts batteries. EPA says lithium-ion batteries should be recycled at certified battery or electronics recyclers².
• A retailer. Certain items, including batteries, can be returned to retail stores³. For lead-acid, EPA says to return them to a battery retailer or an HHW program⁴.
• The maker or installer. For energy storage equipment, EPA says to contact the manufacturer or the company that installed the battery².

Directories to use

EPA names two resources for finding a recycler: the Earth 911 database and Call2Recycle². Both are searched by location. Neither is a promise that a given site will take a battery your size, so still call.

Checking a place is legitimate

There's no single stamp that proves a site is genuine. These checks narrow it down.

1. Does an official body or a named directory list it? Your local waste agency is the best check. Treat an unlisted roadside bin with caution.
2. Does it accept your type and size? Many sites take small batteries only. EPA notes that medium and large lithium-ion batteries may not be removable by the owner⁴, and a home battery bank often falls in that group.
3. Are they certified? For lithium-ion, EPA's wording is certified recyclers². Ask what certification they hold and who issues it.
4. Will they say where the battery goes next? A real operator can tell you which plant receives it.
5. Is anyone asking you to pay for a "special" disposal outside a posted fee? Ask for the fee in writing.

Before you go

Call ahead and ask whether they take your battery's type, size and condition. Say so on the phone if it's damaged, and look at the damaged-battery page first. Ask about opening hours and any fee too, since some sites open only on set days¹. Don't mix products. EPA warns against mixing household hazardous wastes with other products¹. Keep the battery on its own while it waits, as described in storing a retired battery.

Outside the US

This page uses US sources. Other countries have their own schemes, so ask your national or local environmental agency. Your manual may also name a return route.