HomeCharlotte, NCBattery RecyclingCar Battery Recycling

Battery Recycling · Charlotte, NC

Car Battery Recycling in Charlotte

Before you go

This is the one item on the site that usually pays you rather than costing you.

  1. Know which of the two payments you're owed

    A core charge is a deposit added when you buy a battery, commonly fifteen to twenty-five dollars, refunded when you hand the old one back. If you're not buying anything, that isn't what you get. Walking in with a battery alone earns store credit instead: AutoZone and O'Reilly both run about ten dollars per battery, with daily limits and exclusions. A scrap yard pays cash by weight. One phone call tells you which is worth more today.

  2. Carry it upright

    Even a sealed battery will weep sulfuric acid from the vents if it's tipped. Upright, in a plastic tub, in the footwell, not loose in the trunk on carpet.

  3. Lift from underneath with both hands

    A car battery is thirty to fifty pounds of dense mass in a slick plastic case with no real handhold. Most of the injuries here are dropped-on-foot, not chemical.

  4. Call first if the case is cracked or bulging

    That's a spill in progress, not a drop-off. The site will want to handle it differently, and you don't want it leaking in your car on the way over.

  5. Don't leave it on a concrete floor for weeks first

    It won't hurt the concrete, but a battery sitting forgotten in a garage is one that eventually leaks. Take it in the same week you pull it.

Compare options

Car Battery Recycling in Charlotte

2 free · 1 fee-based

Facility Cost Open now Notes
Mecklenburg County - Hickory Grove Recycling Center (Full HHW)(704) 563-6359 Free Mon-Sat 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Walk-in One of 4 county full-service centers. Accepts ALL battery types.
AutoZone (Multiple Locations) - Battery & Oil Recycling Free
battery core deposit refunded if buying replacement		 Store hours (typically 7:30 AM - 9 PM) Walk-in All Charlotte-area AutoZone locations accept used car batteries and motor oil for rec…
Paid or fee-based options
Batteries Plus (Park Rd)(704) 333-3325 Free for most
small fee for some types		 Mon-Sat 8 AM - 7 PM, Sun 10 AM - 5 PM Walk-in Accepts nearly all battery types for recycling.

How it works in Charlotte

Local rules

  • NC G.S. 130A-309.10(f), as amended by SL 2023-137 — lithium-ion battery landfill and incinerator ban statewide, effective December 1, 2026.
  • NC G.S. 130A-309.70 prohibits disposal of lead-acid batteries in landfills, incinerators, or waste-to-energy facilities; retailers selling lead-acid batteries must accept used ones for recycling.

Worth knowing

  • Curbside trash crews in Charlotte will not pick up TVs, computers, paint cans, or batteries.
  • Lithium-ion battery fires have become a frequent operational issue at Mecklenburg's facilities — multiple same-day fires reported in April 2025 — driving an active county education campaign.

Mecklenburg County household hazardous waste

Mecklenburg County Full-Service Recycling Centers

Four county centers accept HHW, electronics, and batteries. Mecklenburg County residents only — free with blue entry sticker.

(704) 336-2673 Official program page (opens in a new tab)

15 more Charlotte rules, not specific to this item
  • NC G.S. 130A-309.10 — statewide landfill ban (effective July 1, 2011) on televisions, computers, monitors, printers, scanners, fax/copy devices, and computer peripherals (except keyboards and mice). Curbside trash crews will not collect TVs or computers.
  • NC statewide bans also in effect: used motor oil, motor-vehicle oil filters, antifreeze, aluminum cans, plastic bottles (all under G.S. 130A-309.10). Fluorescent lights banned from C&D landfills; photovoltaic modules banned in C&D effective Dec 1, 2026.
  • Mecklenburg County Source Separation Ordinance — businesses generating 16+ cubic yards of trash per week AND more than 500 lb/month of corrugated cardboard and/or 500 lb/month of office paper must source-separate and recycle those materials. Roughly 4,900 businesses are covered.
  • PaintCare does NOT operate in North Carolina. Latex and oil-based paint are handled through county HHW programs, not a producer-funded stewardship program.
  • Mecklenburg County Solid Waste Ordinance (Chapter 54, County Code): regulates all county solid waste operations, facilities access, prohibited materials, and fee structures.
  • Four Full-Service Recycling Centers: Foxhole (17131 Lancaster Hwy, 28277), Hickory Grove (8007 Pence Rd, 28215), Compost Central (140 Valleydale Rd, 28214), and North Mecklenburg (12300 N. Statesville Rd, Huntersville 28078).
  • Free blue entry sticker required for Mecklenburg County residents at full-service centers; picked up at the fee booth on first visit with a NC driver's license/proof of residency.
  • Non-residents may buy an annual out-of-county sticker at the fee booth for residential-equivalent access; without it, non-residents pay a per-entry fee for every visit (including recycling).
  • All four full-service centers operate Mon-Sat 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.; closed Sunday.
  • Mecklenburg also operates five smaller self-service centers that accept only the standard 6 curbside materials — no HHW, electronics, or paint at those.
  • Hickory Grove and North Mecklenburg only accept trailers up to 12 ft long for bulky/C&D loads; trees up to 24-inch diameter at those two, up to 48-inch at Compost Central and Foxhole.
  • Charlotte curbside green cart accepts only 6 item types — cardboard, cans, cartons, paper, glass bottles, plastic bottles/jugs with necks. No plastic tubs/clamshells, no bagged items. Collected every other week (Green/Orange week schedule).
  • Mecklenburg County HHW does not accept business hazardous waste day-to-day; businesses must use the quarterly Small Business HW Event (appointment required) or contract NC DEQ-listed haulers.
  • PaintCare does not operate in NC, making Charlotte reliant solely on county HHW — unlike cities in PaintCare states (CO, OR, CA) where 200+ retail drop-off sites supplement municipal programs.
  • The Mecklenburg County Source Separation Ordinance covers roughly 4,900 businesses — one of the most comprehensive commercial recycling mandates in the Southeast.

Other Charlotte programs

Where this came from: 15 sources

Common questions

About Car Battery Recycling here

How much does Car Battery recycling cost in this area?

2 of 3 facilities (67%) offer free recycling for Car Battery. Facilities that may charge: Batteries Plus (Park Rd). Batteries Plus (Park Rd): Free for most household batteries; small fee for some types.

Do I need an appointment for Car Battery drop-off?

No appointment needed. Mecklenburg County - Hickory Grove Recycling Center (Full HHW), Batteries Plus (Park Rd), AutoZone (Multiple Locations) - Battery & Oil Recycling accept walk-ins.

Is pickup available for Car Battery?

Most facilities require you to drop off Car Battery. Check individual listings for special arrangements.

Are there quantity limits for Car Battery drop-off?

Some facilities have limits: Mecklenburg County - Hickory Grove Recycling Center (Full HHW): Residential quantities Residential quantities only; AutoZone (Multiple Locations) - Battery & Oil Recycling: 5 gallons oil, 2 batteries typical.

How much is a car battery core charge?

The core charge on a new car battery ranges from $5 to $22 depending on the state and retailer. You get a full refund when you return your old battery at the time of purchase.

What happens to recycled car batteries?

Lead-acid batteries are the most recycled product in America at 99%. The lead is smelted into new battery components, the polypropylene plastic is reprocessed, and the sulfuric acid is neutralized into water or converted to sodium sulfate for fertilizer.

← All Battery Recycling All Charlotte options