Where do Car batteries (lead-acid) go?

A car battery is roughly 60% lead by weight plus around three litres of sulphuric acid, and the recycling loop for it is genuinely closed — recovered lead goes straight back into new batteries, and recovery rates for automotive lead-acid in the US run at or near 99%. That value is why scrap yards and many garages will take one free or pay for it, and why some sellers charge a surrender deposit you get back on return. The acid is the reason it must never be tipped, stored on its side or left where it can be knocked over. Handle it upright, in a tray, and take it somewhere that is set up for it. Which garages and sites take batteries from the public varies locally, so ring ahead rather than turning up.

How to prepare it

1. Carry it upright, in a plastic tray or tub, never on a car seat.
2. Wear gloves and eye protection; the electrolyte is dilute sulphuric acid.
3. Ask about a core charge refund — many retailers pay for the old one.

What not to do

• Never tip out the acid; it is corrosive and lead-contaminated, and pouring it down a drain is an offence in most places.
• Never put a lead-acid battery in any household bin.
• Never store one on a metal surface — the terminals short across it.

Kerbside collection rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always win over general guidance. The reasoning above is what transfers — if your service differs, it will usually be for a reason described here.

Other things that go to household waste recycling centre

• Leftover wet paint Household waste centre or a community paint reuse scheme. Liquid paint is not accepted in any household bin.
• Used motor oil Household waste centre oil bank, or a garage that accepts it. One container of it contaminates an enormous volume of water.
• Small electricals (kettles, toasters, hair dryers) Electrical waste. Household waste centre, a shop take-back point, or a kerbside small-electricals sack if your council runs one.
• Pyrex and heat-resistant glassware Never the glass bin. Ovenware is formulated not to melt like bottle glass, and one fragment can ruin a whole batch.
• Televisions and monitors WEEE recycling. Old CRT sets contain several kilograms of leaded glass.
• CFL energy-saving bulbs Household waste centre or a shop take-back point. They contain mercury and must not be binned.
• LED bulbs Small electricals recycling. No mercury, but they are electronics, not glass.
• Drinking glasses and wine glasses Not the glass bin. Tableware glass has a different composition from bottle glass.
• Smoke alarms Household waste centre or manufacturer return. Ionisation alarms contain a tiny sealed radioactive source.
• Crockery, mugs and ceramics Not glass and not recyclable at the kerb. Donate what is whole; broken pieces go to the household waste centre or general waste.
• Fluorescent tubes Household waste centre, intact. Mercury inside, and a tube that breaks in transit is a spill.
• Camping gas canisters and butane cartridges Household waste centre, as gas cylinders — not the metal skip and never a bin, whether or not they feel empty.
• Fire extinguishers Household waste centre or a fire equipment company. It is pressurised until a professional has discharged it.
• Mirrors Household waste centre. The reflective backing means it is not recyclable glass.