Why old batteries need to be recycled
A car battery is mostly lead and sulfuric acid in a plastic case. Thrown in the trash, it's a hazard to sanitation workers and to soil and water. Recycled, it's one of the most reusable products there is: the lead is smelted and made into new battery plates, the plastic is ground and molded into new cases, and the acid is neutralized or processed.
Lead-acid batteries are among the most recycled consumer products in the country, largely because the system is set up to bring them back. When a tech installs your new battery, the old one goes straight into that system.
+ 01 Core charges
What a core charge is
Most battery sellers add a core charge to a new battery and refund it when an old battery is returned. It's a deposit that keeps old batteries coming back for recycling. When the tech installs your battery and takes the old one, that's taken care of as part of the job.
+ 02 Spare batteries
Got an old battery sitting in the garage?
Ask the tech when they come out for your install; they can often take an extra old battery too. Store any old battery upright, somewhere it can't be knocked over, away from children and pets, until it's picked up.
Questions about car battery recycling
Can I put a car battery in my recycling bin?
No. Curbside bins don't take lead-acid batteries, and putting one in the trash is illegal in many places. They go back through battery sellers, recyclers or collection sites.
Is a leaking battery dangerous?
The acid can burn skin and damage paint and concrete. Keep it upright, don't touch the residue, and let the tech handle it.
What about hybrid and EV traction batteries?
Those large high-voltage packs go through specialist recyclers. Car-Battery.xyz handles the 12-volt batteries found in every car, including hybrids and EVs.