How to dispose of batteries in Texas
Batteries are banned at nearly every Texas landfill, and unlike most bans this one isn't bureaucratic — lithium batteries start real fires in garbage trucks and at transfer stations, and it happens often. Denton, Tyler, Arlington and Nacogdoches all refuse them outright. Here's where they actually go, and how to tape the dangerous ones so they don't ignite on the way.
Where batteries go, city by city
| City | Landfill takes them? | Where they actually go |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | No | Environmental Service Center — North (5614 Neches St) or South (11500 S. Post Oak Rd). Free for residents. |
| Dallas | No | Keep them out of the trash and out of McCommas Bluff. Dallas residents drop household batteries free at the Home Chemical Collection Center; rechargeable batteries also go to Call2Recycle bins at Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy and Staples. |
| Fort Worth | No | The four city Drop-Off Stations accept household hazardous waste. Free for residents. |
| Arlington | No — explicitly banned | Fort Worth Environmental Collection Center, 6400 Bridge St. Free for Arlington residents. |
| Austin | No | Recycle & Reuse Center — free for residents, appointment required. |
| Denton | No — explicitly banned | Home Chemical Center, 1527 S. Mayhill Rd — literally the same site as the landfill that bans them. Free, during operational hours only. |
| Tyler | No — explicitly banned | Not accepted at Greenwood Farms. Use a household hazardous waste event or retail drop-off. |
| Nacogdoches | No | City landfill does not accept batteries. |
| San Antonio | No | Not accepted at bulky waste centers — use a household hazardous waste drop-off. Call 3-1-1. |
| Other cities | Assume no | Retail drop-off is the reliable fallback — see below. |
Verified from official city sources, July 2026. Car batteries are handled separately — most auto parts stores take them and pay a core refund.
Find a disposal site near you
Enter your ZIP for the closest facilities. Batteries go to household hazardous waste, not the landfill — call first to confirm.
Tape the terminals — this is not optional
A loose lithium or button battery rattling against metal in a bag can short out and catch fire. This is the single biggest cause of fires in garbage trucks and recycling facilities, and it's why the bans exist at all.
Put a piece of clear tape over the terminals of any lithium, button, or 9-volt battery before you transport it. It takes ten seconds. Alkaline AAs are far less risky, but taping costs you nothing.
- Tape the terminals of lithium, button and 9V batteries — 9Vs are notorious because both terminals sit side by side.
- Never crush, puncture or bin a swollen lithium battery. A bulging phone or laptop battery is a fire waiting to happen — take it to hazardous waste promptly.
- Bag battery types separately if you have a lot.
- Car batteries are a different animal — see below.
Car batteries: take them back to the store
Vehicle batteries almost never go to a landfill or a hazardous waste centre in Texas. Auto parts stores take them, and most pay you a core refund of several dollars for the privilege — the lead is worth real money.
If you bought a replacement battery, the store usually charges you a core fee up front and refunds it when you bring the old one back. That's an errand that pays, unlike every other item in this guide.
The easiest option for AAs and phone batteries
Many hardware stores, home improvement chains and phone retailers keep a battery recycling bin near the entrance, free to use and open whenever they are. For a handful of household batteries that beats scheduling a hazardous waste trip.
For a big box of accumulated batteries, your city's household hazardous waste centre is still the right call — and in Houston, Fort Worth, Austin and Arlington it's free.