Where to Recycle Batteries in South Florida
In Florida, rechargeable and lithium-ion batteries cannot go in the garbage or recycling cart — they ignite when crushed and have burned dozens of collection trucks. Take them free to a county hazardous-waste center in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach County, or to a Battery Network retail bin. Tape the terminals first.
What Goes Where
| Battery type | In the garbage cart? | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Alkaline (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V) | Allowed | Household garbage is allowed in Florida — or any county hazardous-waste center if you'd rather. |
| Rechargeable — lithium-ion, NiMH, NiCd (phones, laptops, tools, toys, vapes) | Never | County hazardous-waste center or a Battery Network retail bin. Never the cart. |
| Button and coin cells (watches, key fobs, hearing aids) | Never | County hazardous-waste center or retail bin. Tape both faces. |
| E-bike and scooter packs | Never | County hazardous-waste center — call ahead if damaged or swollen. |
| Lead-acid (car, boat, golf cart, UPS) | Never | Palm Beach HCRCs and most auto-parts stores. Broward's county sites do not take them; ask Miami-Dade first. |
| Electric-vehicle traction batteries | Never | Dealer or manufacturer only — no county facility accepts them. |
Before You Drop Them Off
- ✓Cover both terminals with clear, non-conductive tape, or put each battery in its own small bag so terminals can't touch.
- ✓Store them in a cool, dry, non-metal container away from anything flammable — not loose in a kitchen drawer.
- ✓Keep lithium batteries separate from other types; the SWA and the Battery Network both ask for this.
- ✓Never puncture, crush or incinerate a battery, and never put a device with a built-in battery in the recycling cart.
Swollen, leaking or damaged?
A puffed-up phone or laptop battery is a fire risk in your house, not just in the truck. Don't charge it and don't put it in a retail bin. Set it in a bucket of sand or kitty litter, away from anything flammable, and take it to a county hazardous-waste center — those are staffed for exactly this.
If it's hot, smoking or hissing, get it outdoors onto concrete and call 911. Do not use water on a lithium fire indoors.
Why Florida Is Strict About This
When a garbage truck's compactor crushes a lithium-ion cell it can short, spark and ignite the paper and plastic around it. Hillsborough County alone logged about 30 battery-triggered truck fires in three years — 15 of them in 2025 — and Tampa Bay haulers reported dozens more in 2026. The Florida DEP's Take Charge Florida campaign exists because the same thing is happening in transfer stations and recycling facilities statewide.
Florida has no statewide battery take-back law yet: the 2026 Safe Battery Collection and Recovery Act would have made producers fund collection, but it died in committee in March 2026. Until that changes, the free options are county hazardous-waste centers and voluntary retail bins — which is what the list below is for.
Where to Take Batteries, County by County
Miami-Dade County
All Miami-Dade sites →Rechargeable and lithium-ion batteries never go in the garbage or recycling cart. Take small lithium-ion batteries to either Home Chemical Collection Center or a mobile event; any Miami-Dade resident qualifies. Plain alkaline batteries can go in the trash, but tape the terminals on anything rechargeable.
South Dade Home Chemical Collection Center
23707 SW 97th Avenue, Gate B, Homestead, FL 33032 Map ↗
Official page ↗Broward County
All Broward sites →Rechargeable batteries are on the county's accepted list at all three drop-off centers for residents of participating cities. Plain alkaline batteries can go in household garbage in Broward. If your city doesn't participate, use its hazardous-waste event or a retail Battery Network bin — never the cart.
North Residential Drop-Off Center
2780 N Powerline Road, Pompano Beach, FL 33069 Map ↗
Official page ↗South Residential Drop-Off Center
5601 W Hallandale Beach Boulevard, West Park, FL 33023 Map ↗
Official page ↗City hazardous-waste & electronics collection events
Rotating locations — see the official schedule.
Official page ↗Palm Beach County
All Palm Beach sites →Rechargeable and lithium batteries go to any HCRC free. The SWA also runs periodic lithium-battery collection events at its Education Center on North Jog Road. Tape the terminals with clear non-conductive tape and keep lithium batteries in separate bags. Electric-vehicle batteries are not accepted at SWA facilities — those go back to the dealer.
Home Chemical & Recycling Center — West Palm Beach (Jog Road)
6161 N Jog Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33412 Map ↗
Official page ↗Home Chemical & Recycling Center — Jupiter (North County Transfer Station)
14185 N Military Trail, Jupiter, FL Map ↗
Official page ↗Home Chemical & Recycling Center — Royal Palm Beach (West Central Transfer Station)
9743 Weisman Way, Royal Palm Beach, FL Map ↗
Official page ↗Home Chemical & Recycling Center — Lantana (Central County Transfer Station)
1810 Lantana Road, Lantana, FL Map ↗
Official page ↗Home Chemical & Recycling Center — Eastern Delray Beach (South County Transfer Station)
1901 SW 4th Avenue, Delray Beach, FL Map ↗
Official page ↗Home Chemical & Recycling Center — Western Delray Beach (Southwest County Transfer Station)
13400 S State Road 7, Delray Beach, FL Map ↗
Official page ↗Home Chemical & Recycling Center — Belle Glade (Glades Regional Transfer Station)
1701 State Road 15, Belle Glade, FL Map ↗
Official page ↗🛒 Any county: The Battery Network (Call2Recycle) retail drop-off
Rechargeable batteries — lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, nickel-zinc and small sealed lead-acid — up to 11 lb and under 300 Wh, plus cell phones at many sites.
Free bins at participating Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, Staples and Batteries Plus stores across South Florida. Tape the terminals or bag each battery before you drop it in. Use the locator for the nearest participating store.
Find a participating store ↗Battery Disposal — Common Questions
Sources
Clearing Out a Garage Full of Old Electronics?
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