How (and Where) To Dispose of Old Lawn Mower Batteries

how to store lawn mower battery for winter

Where Can I Properly Dispose of My Old Lawn Mower Battery?

When the battery finally wears out and you are no longer able to use it, you may wonder where to dispose of it so you do not harm the environment and you keep everyone safe. Some good suggestions to help with this include:

Check Your Lock Authority

The first thing to consider after removing the old battery from the mower, you must dispose of it properly. The first thing to do is to call your local authority. They will be able to tell you more about which dumps and recycling centers in the area are able to take the battery off your hand. Many local recycling centers will be able to handle the batter, including car and even standard batteries so if you have other batteries to remove, this may be a good place to start. Do it all at once to help avoid wasting time.

Some waste removal companies are authorized to take these batteries, but it will depend on the area that you live in. Do not assume that you can do this. Throwing the battery in the trash when it is not allowed can be dangerous and may result in a big fine. If the trash company can take these batteries in your area, you will need to call ahead and tell them the battery is going to be in the trash. And in some instances, you will need to pay a bit extra on your trash bill to do this.

Return to the Supplier

Another option that may be available to you is to take the battery and return it to the original supplier or manufacturer. If you can remember who you got the battery from in the first place, you can contact them and dispose of the battery. Since 2010, any shop that sold more than 32KG a year would have to provide some kind of store collection for the batteries to make it easy for the customer to dispose of these batteries on their own. You can always contact the supplier to see if they are able to deal with the battery for you.

Dispose of the Battery Properly

Those are the two most common methods that you can use to help dispose of the battery properly so it is safe and does not damage anything. You should never just take the battery form the mower and throw it into the trash can. This is going to cause quite a bit of damage to the environment with the acid leaking out. And if a disposal company finds it in the trash, they will refuse to take it and can charge you extra for that. This is because most batteries, including batteries for your lawn mower, are considered hazardous waste. Use one of the two options above instead.

Local Auto Repair Shop

While these locations often deal with the battery that comes with your car, they may also be able to take a lawn mower battery as well. The disposal process is similar and in some smaller areas where the other options are not as easy to do, you may be able to ask them to help you out with this for a small fee. Always call ahead to see if they do offer this service and to see what steps you need to take to make that happen. They may have some limitations on the type of battery you can drop off with them and any of the other rules that they may ask you to follow.

Mail-In Program

Depending on where you live, you may be able to use a mail-in program to help you handle the battery. If you do not live near a place that will take care of there, there are a few recycling facilities and battery manufacturers who have their own mail-in programs. This will help you to send the battery in and then they will dispose of it for you properly. Just make sure that you follow all the rules that come with it so that the battery can be shipped off without causing anyone any harm.

Some Hardware Stores

Some of the different hardware stores out there, including The Home Depot, have been able to help with recycling batteries as well. There are programs through Call2Recycle and more that will help you to recycle all of the rechargeable batteries that you have, rather than just leaving them around and letting them get ruined. You just need to visit a store that has one of their bins and they will take care of the rest for you, making it very easy.

The whole point of this program is to give you a good way to take care of the batteries you have without them being left behind or you having to scramble to find somewhere to leave them. When the bins are easy to find, you can make the drop-off when it is convenient for you. And these bins are meant to help with any type of battery from the cellphone battery to lithium batteries. They can weigh up to 11 pounds and be under 300 watt hours and work for dropping off here.

Why Do I Need to Properly Dispose of My Battery?

It is important to properly dispose of your battery. When it is no longer working, you have to dispose of it since you no longer plan to use it. Leaving it in the garage will make it more likely the acid will leak out and cause some damage around the garage or the land where the battery is left. And putting it into the trash is not a good idea either.

When you dispose of the lawn mower battery properly, you can make sure that it stays safe and that the environment, and other people, will not get hurt. The good news is there are often quite a few places near you, including your local recycling center, hardware stores, and more, who will help dispose of the battery to make this a little bit easier.

Keeping Everyone Safe

When your lawn mower battery gets old, it is important to replace the battery and put a new one in its place. This will help keep everyone safe and can ensure that you get a new battery so the mower works during the summer. But it is important to not just let the battery sit around and you should never just throw it in the trash can.

The better options are to ask your local authority if you can send it to the dump (if you send it with your regular waste, when allowed, you may have to pay a few extra dollars to get this done), or where the local recycling center is to deal with it. Or, if you can remember where you got the battery from in the first place, you can use that as a drop off location for the batter.