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Battery Recycling · Denver, CO

Car Battery Recycling in Denver

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 Denver

1 free · 2 fee-based

Facility Cost Open now Notes
AutoZone / O'Reilly Auto Parts Free Hours not published Walk-in Accepts automotive lead-acid batteries for recycling at no charge whether buying a ne…
Paid or fee-based options
Rooney Road Recycling Center(303) 269-9448 Depends on the item
Electronics: per-item fee. HHW: $0-$3 per item		 Wed & Sat 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM (by appointment) Appointment Award-winning HHW facility owned by Jefferson County coalition.
Batteries + Bulbs(303) 282-3913 Depends on the item
small fee for some types		 Mon-Sat 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM, Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Walk-in Nation's largest battery retailer. Wide range of battery chemistries accepted.

How it works in Denver

Local rules

  • Colorado SB25-163 Battery Stewardship Act (signed June 4, 2025): producers must join a battery stewardship organization beginning Aug 1, 2027; landfill disposal of covered batteries prohibited starting Jan 1, 2030.
  • Colorado SB26-003 (2026 session): creates the first state-level EV propulsion-battery stewardship framework in the US — CDPHE will certify qualified recyclers by July 2027, with mandatory producer-funded collection starting Aug 1, 2028.

Denver County (HHW via Jefferson County / Rooney Road) household hazardous waste

Rooney Road Recycling Center (Jefferson County)

Jefferson County residents. Wed & Sat by appointment. Paint and motor oil free; per-item HHW fee.

(303) 269-9448 Official program page (opens in a new tab)

13 more Denver rules, not specific to this item
  • Colorado Electronic Recycling Jobs Act (SB12-133), effective July 1, 2013: landfill ban on TVs, computers, monitors, printers, copiers, fax machines, laptops, tablets, DVD players, VCRs, radios, and video game consoles. Landfills, transfer stations and haulers must post conspicuous notice.
  • Colorado Architectural Paint Stewardship Act: PaintCare program operational in Colorado since July 2015. Fee added to new paint at retail funds free statewide collection of latex, oil-based, stains, varnish.
  • Colorado HB22-1355 Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling (signed June 3, 2022): EPR for packaging and paper. Circular Action Alliance is the PRO; producers had to register by Oct 1, 2024. Free residential packaging recycling rolling out statewide by mid-2026.
  • Denver Pay-As-You-Throw ordinance (in effect since Jan 2023): volume-based trash pricing ($9.75/35-gal, $13.75/65-gal, $21.75/95-gal monthly), with weekly recycling and weekly compost included at no extra charge.
  • Denver 'Waste No More' ordinance (Initiated Ordinance 306, voter-approved 2022; enforcement begins September 2026): requires multifamily buildings (8+ units), non-residential buildings, food businesses, and events to provide recycling and composting alongside trash.
  • Denver County has no large permanent HHW facility of its own; the City refers most heavy HHW to Rooney Road Recycling Center in Jefferson County (151 South Rooney Road, Golden) or to Veolia in Henderson (Adams County). Eligibility and fees depend on whether your jurisdiction is a paying participant.
  • Rooney Road runs Wed and Sat by appointment only (303-316-6262). Latex/oil paint and used motor oil are free drop-offs. Curbside pickup is available for residents physically unable to drive ($40 co-pay).
  • Denver Recycles weekly compost cart service is bundled into the PAYT fee citywide as of 2023 — one of the few US cities to make residential composting universal at no extra charge.
  • Denver Treecycle: free Christmas tree drop-off in early January; trees are mulched and the mulch is given back to residents free at the May Mulch Giveaway & Compost Sale. Trees left for regular trash pickup are NOT composted.
  • Best Buy in metro Denver still charges $29.99 to recycle CRT TVs/monitors (flat-panels free), reflecting the high handling cost of leaded glass after the e-waste ban.
  • Free statewide packaging recycling under HB22-1355 is being phased in — residents in covered jurisdictions get curbside recycling at no charge starting in mid-2026.
  • Colorado is one of only a few states with a PaintCare program that offers free household door-to-door pickup for 10+ gallons, not just drop-off sites.
  • Denver's 'Waste No More' ordinance (voter-approved 2022) enforcement was delayed to September 2026, giving multifamily and commercial buildings extra time to comply with mandatory recycling and composting requirements.

Other Denver programs

  • Denver Recycles Household Hazardous Waste ProgramCity-run HHW program for Denver residents only. Offers free paint drop-off (via PaintCare partnership) and at-your-door HHW collection by appointment; battery disposal guidance. Call 3-1-1 for current scheduling/cost details.311 (or 720-913-1311)
  • PaintCare ColoradoFree year-round drop-off of latex/oil-based paint, primers, stains, sealers, shellac, and varnish at 220+ Colorado sites (60+ in metro Denver). 5 gallons per visit at most sites. Door-to-door household pickup for 10+ gallons in the Denver metro; free large-volume pickup for contractors with 100+ gallons. Funded by per-can fee added at retail.1-855-724-6809 (locator); 720-854-8722 (household pickup)
  • Veolia Colorado HHW Recycling Center (Henderson)Regional HHW center at 9131 E. 96th Ave, Henderson. Serves Adams and neighboring county residents by appointment. Architectural paint accepted free (PaintCare); other chemicals/electronics $30 facility fee + $1.66/lb. Accepts antifreeze, motor oil, batteries, propane, fire extinguishers, computers, monitors, TVs, printers.303-526-8155
  • Blue Star Recyclers (Denver)Nonprofit, e-Stewards and NAID AAA certified electronics recycler. Accepts TVs, CRTs, computers, printers, batteries, bulbs. Provides on-site/off-site hard-drive data destruction. Employs workers with autism and other disabilities.303-534-1667
  • PCs for People Colorado501(c)(3) with NAID AAA + R2 certifications. Free white-glove pickup for businesses with 15+ usable computers; drop-off for households. Refurbishes devices for low-income families; zero-landfill for non-refurb.
  • Call2Recycle (The Battery Network)National rechargeable-battery and cell-phone drop-off network. Free at Home Depot, Lowe's, Batteries Plus, Staples, and many municipal sites across metro Denver. Accepts Li-ion, NiCd, NiMH, lead acid (small sealed). Lithium terminals must be taped before drop-off.1-877-723-1297
  • GreenSheen Paint (Denver)Local PaintCare-affiliated paint recycler offering free residential paint pickup in Denver, Arapahoe, Adams, Broomfield, Douglas, El Paso, Teller, and Jefferson counties. Hosts periodic free paint-recycling events.720-854-8722
  • Eco-Cycle (Boulder/Longmont area, serving Denver metro)Nonprofit recycler operating CHaRM facilities and offering zero-waste resources, education, and hard-to-recycle collection events. Provides residential and commercial recycling services in the broader Denver metro area.303-444-6634
  • Denver Compost Collection ProgramWeekly curbside compost pick-up included with Pay-As-You-Throw trash service at no extra charge. Accepts food scraps, yard waste, compostable paper products. One of few US cities to make residential composting universal at no additional fee.
Where this came from: 13 sources

Common questions

About Car Battery Recycling here

How much does Car Battery recycling cost in this area?

1 of 3 facilities (33%) offer free recycling for Car Battery. Facilities that may charge: Rooney Road Recycling Center, Batteries + Bulbs. Rooney Road Recycling Center: Paint and motor oil: free. Electronics: per-item fee. HHW: $0-$3 per item.. Batteries + Bulbs: Free (rechargeable); small fee for some types.

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

1 facility requires an appointment: Rooney Road Recycling Center. Batteries + Bulbs, AutoZone / O'Reilly Auto Parts 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: AutoZone / O'Reilly Auto Parts: Reasonable quantities.

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.

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