How to Recycle EV Lithium-Ion Batteries
Full high-voltage lithium-ion traction battery packs from battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles (and many hybrid NiMH packs). Packs contain lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, graphite, copper, and aluminum. EPA: medium and large Li-ion do not go in household garbage or municipal recycling. Contact the manufacturer, dealer, or installer. Traction packs are not 12-volt starter batteries.
Quick answer
Take a dead or replaced EV traction pack to the dealer, OEM service, or a licensed auto dismantler. Do not remove the pack yourself, put it in trash or curbside recycling, or drop it at Home Depot, Call2Recycle, or Battery Network retail bins. Those bins are for portable rechargeables. Hybrid NiMH packs (many older Prius) use the same dealer/dismantler path and can enter industrial streams such as Redwood Materials alongside Li-ion.
- Recyclable
- Yes
- Recycling code
- Li-ION-EV
- Typical value
- Often $0 to the owner at consumer drop-off. Some dismantlers or recyclers may pay or charge based on chemistry, condition, and logistics. Get a quote; do not assume a large consumer payout.
- Donate / take-back
- Available
- 1Call your dealer, OEM service center, or a licensed auto dismantler for end-of-life, warranty, recall, or salvage packs
- 2Leave the pack installed until a trained technician removes it. Do not open, discharge, or ship a traction pack yourself
- 3If the pack is damaged, leaking, smoking, or the vehicle flooded, keep people back, follow NHTSA/dealer guidance, and do not garage the vehicle next to structures
- 4Have ready the vehicle VIN, make/model/year, and any service or recall paperwork
- 5Ask the shop how they route packs (OEM take-back, Redwood auto portal, Cirba-class processor, or other industrial recycler)
- OEM dealers and brand service centers (Tesla Service, BMW, Ford, GM, Toyota, and others)
- Licensed auto dismantlers and salvage yards with EV pack procedures
- Industrial EV-battery recyclers via dealer/dismantler logistics (e.g. Redwood Materials auto portal, Cirba Solutions lineage)
- Not Call2Recycle, Home Depot, Battery Network, or municipal curbside bins for automotive packs
NHTSA: do not service a traction battery without proper training and specialized equipment. Damaged, defective, or recalled (DDR) packs need specialized packaging and shipping under DOT rules and are forbidden on commercial aircraft. Flooded or saltwater-exposed EVs can pose delayed fire risk. Consumers should not self-ship full automotive packs. California portable-battery EPR excludes motor vehicle batteries.
Industrial recyclers recover lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, graphite, and other materials from packs that would otherwise sit as fire hazards in scrapyards or trash. Redwood Materials states its process recovers more than 95% of listed metals and graphite (vendor process claim, not a U.S. collection rate). Tesla states that its scrapped lithium-ion batteries are recycled rather than landfilled (company claim for Tesla's scrap stream).
- Some OEM and industrial programs screen packs for second-life stationary storage before recycling. Owners still start at the dealer or dismantler; do not build home batteries from traction packs
- Trade in or scrap the whole vehicle through a dealer or licensed dismantler so they handle pack logistics
Accepted
- BEV and PHEV lithium-ion traction packs (Tesla, Bolt, Leaf, Mach-E, Ioniq, and similar)
- Hybrid NiMH traction packs routed through the same dealer or dismantler channels
- Warranty, recall, and end-of-life packs removed by OEM or licensed shops
- Flood- or crash-damaged packs only through DDR-capable handlers (ask first)
Not Accepted
- Trash, curbside recycling, or scrap yards that refuse intact high-voltage packs
- Home Depot, Lowe's, Call2Recycle, or Battery Network portable-battery bins
- Consumer parcel shipping of full automotive packs
- DIY-removed packs offered on online marketplaces without licensed handling
- E-bike and tool packs (use portable Li-ion drop-off instead)
Estimated value: Often $0 to the owner at consumer drop-off. Some dismantlers or recyclers may pay or charge based on chemistry, condition, and logistics. Get a quote; do not assume a large consumer payout.
- High-voltage DC (commonly hundreds of volts)
- Flammable organic electrolyte
- Lithium, nickel, and cobalt compounds (chemistry-dependent)
- Stranded energy after vehicle shutdown
- Toxic or flammable off-gas if damaged or in thermal runaway
Where do I take a dead EV battery?
Start with the selling dealer, any brand service center, or a licensed auto dismantler. They remove the pack and ship it to an industrial recycler. Do not use phone-battery retail bins or trash.
Can I drop an EV pack at Call2Recycle or Home Depot?
No. U.S. Call2Recycle and Battery Network retail bins are for portable rechargeables. Automotive traction packs go through dealers and dismantlers. Canada's Call2Recycle EV Battery Recovery program is a separate Canada program, not a U.S. store locator.
What about a flooded or wrecked EV?
Treat the pack as energized and high-risk. Contact the dealer or emergency responders as needed. NHTSA advises not parking a damaged Li-ion EV within about 50 feet of buildings, other vehicles, or combustibles. Only DDR-capable processors should take damaged packs.
Do hybrid NiMH packs recycle the same way?
Large hybrid NiMH packs (many older Prius) are still vehicle batteries, not AA-bin items. Dealers and dismantlers can route them to industrial recyclers; Redwood's California dealer/dismantler program accepts Li-ion and NiMH.
Will I get paid for my EV battery?
Maybe, maybe not. Material recovery does not equal a consumer check. Ask the dealer or dismantler whether they pay, charge a fee, or include pack handling in vehicle scrap or replacement pricing.
Can my pack go to second-life energy storage instead of recycling?
Some packs enter OEM or industrial stationary-storage programs after testing. Most private owners never arrange that themselves. Use dealer or dismantler channels; do not reuse wrecked modules for DIY home storage.
Recycling centers that accept EV Lithium-Ion Batteries
RecycleFind lists recycling centers that accept ev lithium-ion batteries. Open a listing for hours, contact info, and directions.