Seattle, WA

Battery Recycling in Seattle

7 verified options for battery recycling across the Seattle metro. Compare cost, hours, and pickup at a glance.

Compare options

Battery Recycling in Seattle

5 free · 2 fee-based

4 of 7 have a single address. Chains listed for the whole metro stay in place.

Facility	Cost	Open now	Notes
North Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility (206) 296-4692	Free	Sun-Tue 9 AM - 5 PM Walk-in	Located near Aurora Ave N at 125th. King County HHW facility.
South Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility (206) 296-4692	Free	Thu-Sat 9 AM - 5 PM Walk-in	South Seattle HHW facility. Located across from the South Transfer Station.
The Home Depot (Seattle) - Call2Recycle Battery Drop-Off	Free	Store hours (typically 6 AM - 9 PM) Walk-in	Call2Recycle drop-off bins near store entrance.
Lowe's (Seattle) - Call2Recycle Battery Drop-Off	Free	Store hours (typically 6 AM - 9 PM) Walk-in	Multiple Seattle-area Lowe's locations participate in Call2Recycle.
AutoZone (Seattle) - Car Battery Recycling	Free core deposit refunded if buying new	Hours not published Walk-in	Multiple King County AutoZone locations. Accepts old lead-acid batteries for recyclin…
Paid or fee-based options
Seattle North Transfer Station (206) 684-3000	Depends on the item Garbage/yard waste fees apply	Daily 8 AM - 5:30 PM (hours vary, check website) Walk-in	Seattle Public Utilities station in Wallingford/Fremont area.
Seattle South Transfer Station (206) 684-8400	Depends on the item Garbage/yard waste fees apply	Daily 8 AM - 5:30 PM (hours vary, check website) Walk-in	Seattle Public Utilities station south of downtown.

How it works in Seattle

Local rules

Washington Electronic Product Recycling Law (RCW 70A.500, 2006): created E-Cycle Washington — one of the first state-level producer-funded e-waste programs in the US. Covers TVs, computers, monitors, laptops, tablets, e-readers, and portable DVD players. Manufacturers fund collection and recycling.
Seattle Director's Rule SW-404: bans batteries and covered electronics from municipal solid waste in Seattle (garbage, recycling carts, transfer stations). Violations result in a tag on the cart asking the resident to remove the items — no fines. Effective January 1, 2025 for batteries.
WA Battery EPR Law (SB 5144, signed May 11, 2023): producer-funded statewide battery collection program. Bans portable batteries (rechargeable and primary single-use) from the trash. Program implementation was still rolling out as of 2026; the law was driven partly by battery-caused fires at Seattle transfer stations and MRFs.
RCW 70A.205 — general solid waste management: electronics in the trash must be separated for recycling; disposal bans for lead-acid batteries, mercury-containing lights, and other universal wastes also apply. King County has additional local requirements.
PaintCare Washington launched based on the state's Paint Stewardship Law: PaintCare operates drop-off sites across the state funded by a per-container fee at purchase — covers architectural paints, primers, stains, varnishes, and sealers up to 5 gallons.

Worth knowing

Seattle's two permanent HHW facilities (North and South) run completely different schedules: North is Sun-Mon-Tue, South is Thu-Fri-Sat. They're closed Wednesday and Sunday — exactly the days people try to go. The North facility was originally described as having a different address (12550 Stone Ave N at the Seattle.gov page lists Sunday/Monday/Tuesday).
King County HHW accepts waste from ALL King County residents, not just Seattle residents — the North and South Seattle facilities plus the Factoria (Bellevue) site and traveling Wastemobile. This is unusually generous compared to city-only programs in other metros.
Seattle's Special Item Curbside Pickup includes one FREE battery pickup per year, a free small electronics box per year, free curbside motor oil/used cooking oil, and free styrofoam pickup — a genuinely useful program many Seattleites don't know they have.
E-Cycle Washington does NOT cover computer peripherals (keyboards, mice, printers), contrary to what many Seattle residents assume. Those go to Best Buy/Staples or the HHW facilities instead.
The Wastemobile has been running since 1989 — one of the longest-running mobile HHW collection programs in the US. It visits ~20 locations/year across King County from February through October.
Battery-caused fires at Seattle transfer stations and in collection trucks have been a major safety driver behind both the Seattle SW-404 ban and the state battery EPR law. Seattle's South Transfer Station had multiple battery fires in 2024-2025.
PaintCare Washington accepts latex AND oil-based paint at the same drop-off sites — unlike some states where HHW handles the oil-based stuff. Sherwin-Williams, Miller Paint, and Rodda Paint are the most common Seattle-area PaintCare sites.
King County's Haz Waste Help Line (206-296-4692) also gives advice on safer alternatives to hazardous household products — a free consultation service.

King County household hazardous waste

King County / Seattle HHW — North & South Facilities

Free for all King County residents. Two facilities: North (12550 Stone Ave N, Sun-Mon-Tue 9-5) and South (8100 2nd Ave S, Thu-Fri-Sat 9-5). No appointment needed.

(206) 296-4692 Official program page (opens in a new tab)

Other Seattle programs

North Seattle Household Hazardous Waste FacilityFree HHW drop-off for all King County residents. 12550 Stone Avenue North, Seattle 98133. Hours: Sunday/Monday/Tuesday 9 AM-5 PM. No appointment needed. Closed major holidays.
South Seattle Household Hazardous Waste FacilityFree HHW drop-off for all King County residents. 8100 2nd Ave S, Seattle 98108 (Recology site lists as 8105 Fifth Avenue S). Hours: Thursday/Friday/Saturday 9 AM-5 PM. No appointment needed. Closed major holidays.
Factoria HHW Drop-Off Service (Bellevue)Free HHW drop-off for all King County residents at 13800 SE 32nd St, Bellevue. Third permanent HHW site serving the Eastside.
King County WastemobileFree traveling HHW collection events across communities in King County, February through October. 10 AM-5 PM on listed dates. No fee. Standard HHW limits apply. Locations include UW Bothell Campus, Redmond Home Depot, Kent/Covington Fire Station 75, and others — rotates through the county. Year-round weekend location at The Outlet Collection in Auburn (1101 Outlet Collection Dr SW, every Sat-Sun).206-296-4692
E-Cycle Washington (state program)Free recycling for TVs, computers, laptops, monitors, tablets, e-readers, and portable DVD players. Producer-funded program (Chapter 70A.500 RCW) — free for Washington residents and small businesses. Hundreds of drop-off sites across the state. Peripherals (keyboards, mice, printers) not covered — take to Best Buy or Staples for free.800-732-9253
PaintCare WashingtonStatewide paint stewardship program. Free drop-off for latex and oil-based architectural paints, primers, stains, sealers, shellac, and varnish at participating retailers (Sherwin-Williams, Miller Paint, Rodda Paint, Ace Hardware, True Value, and others). Containers up to 5 gallons accepted. Funded by per-container fee at point of sale.855-724-6809
SPU Special Item Curbside PickupSeattle Public Utilities customers can schedule on-demand curbside pickup for batteries, small electronics, lightbulbs, styrofoam, and more. Batteries: first pickup FREE per year ($5 after), limit 2 one-gallon bags, tape ends. Small electronics box: first pickup FREE ($20 after), max 2'x2'x2'/60 lb. Large items (furniture, appliances, TVs over 2'x2'x2'): $31/item. Schedule online or at 206-684-3000.206-684-3000
Call2Recycle / Battery Network (drop-off)Free rechargeable and lithium-ion battery drop-off at participating Seattle-area Home Depot, Lowe's, Staples, and other retailers. Do NOT bring damaged, defective, or recalled batteries (DDR) to collection sites.
Home Collection Program (King County)Free at-home HHW pickup for King County residents age 65+ or with a disability who cannot access a collection site. Operates Wednesdays 9 AM-3 PM, but may have a backlog. Does NOT collect latex paint, tires, electronics, or medications.206-296-4692
Best Buy & Staples (retail take-back)Best Buy accepts most electronics free (limit 3 items/day per household). Staples accepts up to 7 items/day free, plus ink/toner cartridges with Staples Rewards ($2/cartridge). Both accept keyboards, printers, and other peripherals not covered by E-Cycle Washington.
Auburn Wastemobile (year-round weekend)Year-round weekend HHW collection at The Outlet Collection Mall, 1101 Outlet Collection Dr SW, Auburn. Every Saturday and Sunday 10 AM-5 PM. No appointment needed. Free for King County residents.

Where this came from: 19 sources

Common questions

About Battery Recycling here

How much does Battery recycling cost in this area?

5 of 7 facilities (71%) offer free recycling for Battery. Facilities that may charge: Seattle North Transfer Station, Seattle South Transfer Station. Seattle North Transfer Station: Garbage/yard waste fees apply. Free recyclable drop-off.. Seattle South Transfer Station: Garbage/yard waste fees apply. Free recyclable drop-off..

Do I need an appointment for Battery drop-off?

No appointment needed. Seattle North Transfer Station, Seattle South Transfer Station, North Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility, South Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility accept walk-ins.

Is pickup available for Battery?

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

Are there quantity limits for Battery drop-off?

Some facilities have limits: North Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility: Residential quantities; South Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility: Residential quantities; The Home Depot (Seattle) - Call2Recycle Battery Drop-Off: Residential quantities; Lowe's (Seattle) - Call2Recycle Battery Drop-Off: Residential quantities.

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