How to Dispose of Car and Marine Batteries in Southwest Louisiana
Do not put it in the trash. Louisiana law bans lead acid batteries from mixed solid waste. Return old car and marine batteries to a battery retailer when you buy a new one, drop them at a Calcasieu Parish convenience center, or have them hauled. Lithium batteries take a different route. Klutter Krewe takes car and marine batteries.
- Louisiana law bans lead acid batteries from the trash.
- Retailers must take back as many old batteries as you buy new.
- Core charges of $5 to $20 give buyers a reason to bring batteries back.
- The EPA says the U.S. recycles 99 percent of lead acid batteries each year.
- The parish drop-off centers recycle automotive and deep cycle batteries.
- Lithium batteries go to hazardous waste collection or an electronics recycler.
Batteries collect in the same places tires do. There is the one from the truck that died two summers ago, the deep cycle battery from the boat, and the spare nobody trusts. In Southwest Louisiana, where plenty of driveways have a boat in them, marine batteries pile up too.
They are also heavy, full of acid and illegal to throw away. Here is what Louisiana law says and the easiest ways to get rid of them.
Why can’t a car battery go in the trash?
Because of what is inside. The EPA says lead acid batteries may contain up to 18 pounds of lead and about one gallon of corrosive, lead-contaminated sulfuric acid. That is why the law treats them differently from household trash.
Louisiana is direct about it. Under La. R.S. 30:2419, no person may knowingly place a lead acid battery in mixed solid waste or otherwise dispose of it, except by delivery to an automotive battery retailer or wholesaler, an authorized collection or recycling facility, or a permitted secondary lead smelter.
Keep batteries upright and away from kids and pets. A cracked case can leak acid. If you see corrosion or a crack, set the battery in a plastic tub and do not handle the terminals with bare hands.
Will a store take my old battery?
Yes, when you buy a new one. La. R.S. 30:2420 requires retailers to accept used lead acid batteries in a quantity at least equal to the number of new batteries purchased. Stores must post a sign that reads, in part, “It is illegal to discard a motor vehicle battery or other lead acid battery.”
Many stores also charge a core fee. The EPA credits core charges of $5 to $20, along with state landfill bans, for the fact that the United States recycles 99 percent of lead acid batteries each year, more than any other product.
The law ties take-back to a purchase. If you are not buying a new battery, call the store first, or use the parish center or a pickup.
What are your options in Southwest Louisiana?
| Option | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Battery retailer | Swapping one old battery for a new one | Take-back matches the number of new batteries you buy |
| Parish drop-off center | A few batteries you can carry | Recycles automotive and deep cycle batteries; closed Tue and Wed; residents only |
| Klutter Krewe pickup | Batteries mixed in with a bigger cleanout | Car and marine batteries taken; pickup starts at $125 |
If the batteries are part of a shed, garage or boathouse cleanout, one trip clears all of it. Our garage cleanout service handles the rest of the space.
What about marine and deep cycle batteries?
Most traditional boat and deep cycle batteries are lead acid, so the same law applies. The parish centers list deep cycle batteries among the recyclables they accept.
Newer lithium boat batteries are a different story. The EPA found more than 240 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries at 64 waste facilities between 2013 and 2020. The EPA advises taping battery terminals or bagging batteries separately and never putting them in household garbage or recycling bins. Check the label, and tell us the chemistry when you book.
What Southwest Louisiana Boat and Truck Owners Ask About Old Batteries
These questions come up whenever a shed or boathouse gets cleared. If yours is different, send a photo and ask.
Can I throw a car battery in the trash?
No. Louisiana law says no person may knowingly place a lead acid battery in mixed solid waste. Take it to a battery retailer or wholesaler, an authorized collection or recycling facility, or have it hauled.
Will an auto parts store take my old battery?
When you buy a new one, yes. Louisiana requires retailers to accept used lead acid batteries in a quantity at least equal to the number of new batteries you buy. Many stores also charge a core fee that you get back when you return the old battery.
Where can I drop off a battery in Calcasieu Parish?
The parish convenience centers in Lake Charles and Sulphur recycle deep cycle and automotive batteries and accept small batteries. They are free for parish residents with a valid driver’s license and closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
What about lithium boat batteries?
Check the label. Lithium batteries follow a different route from lead acid ones. The EPA says used lithium-ion batteries should go to household hazardous waste collection or an electronics recycler, with the terminals taped.
Do you take car and marine batteries?
Yes. Klutter Krewe takes car and marine batteries. Batteries can be recycled, so we take them. Set them upright and apart from the rest of the pile so the crew can load them carefully.
Before you gather up the batteries
Set each battery upright in one spot, away from the rest of the junk. Note which are lead acid and which are lithium, and look for cracks. For everything else we haul, see what Klutter Krewe will and won’t haul.
Klutter Krewe is veteran-owned and based in Calcasieu Parish, serving Southwest Louisiana from a single item to a full property cleanout. From Klutter to Clean.
Old batteries in the shed?
Car, truck and marine batteries, and the rest of the shed with them. Send a photo and we will get back to you the same business day.
