Catawba County News

Lithium-ion batteries banned from landfill disposal after Dec. 1

Published: October 28, 2026

NEWTON, NC – Lithium-ion batteries power many of the rechargeable devices used every day, which creates battery waste that must be properly managed. Beginning December 1, 2026, lithium-ion batteries will be banned from landfill disposal in North Carolina.

Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly used in devices over other types of batteries (alkaline, lead acid, etc.) because they are more powerful and longer lasting. However, this also makes them more volatile. No battery should ever be placed in household recycling or garbage because they pose serious risks to human and environmental health. When compacted on sanitation trucks, lithium-ion batteries may ignite and burn the other waste material in the truck with them. Even seemingly “dead” batteries can cause devastating fires in homes, recycle centers, and landfills. Because of this, batteries must be disposed of in a safe way. Skip the bin and turn them in.

The average American home contains about 40 objects powered by lithium-ion batteries. They are the most commonly used batteries in laptops, vapes, and other rechargeable devices. Some lithium-ion batteries are easy to identify and remove, like the kind found in power tools, while others are embedded and not designed to be removed. While they may be hard to distinguish from alkaline batteries, they should be marked with “Li-ion”, “LIR”, or “lithium”. If you have any loose batteries, an embedded battery, or are unsure if a battery is lithium-ion, skip the bin and turn your used lithium-ion battery in at a store drop-off (find nearby locations at batterynetwork.org/locator) or at the Catawba County Blackburn Landfill for free, safe disposal.

For more information about the County’s battery recycling program or recycling in general, call Catawba County Utilities & Engineering at 828-465-8217 or visit www.catawbacountync.gov.