Batteries 

The Taos County Solid Waste Recycling Program now makes it possible to recycle all your spent rechargeable batteries, including lithium-ion, at three transfer stations: Arroyo Hondo, Cerro, and Costilla. This includes vehicle batteries (cars, trucks, ATVs, etc.) and rechargeable batteries of other types, such as those that power cell phones, computers, and cordless tools. Soon, all stations will accept these batteries. 

NOTE: We do not currently accept single-use batteries, such as alkaline, coin or button cell, and we cannot accept leaking batteries of any type. For information on alternatives, see below.  

Did you know…?

  • According to recent estimates, of the 5 billion batteries purchased in the United States each year, fewer than 10% are recycled. Battery recycling lags behind many other types of recycling today.Battery
  • We are changing this in Taos County: each Transfer Station will accept your rechargeable batteries when they can no longer be charged.
  • Rechargeable batteries contain substances such as cobalt, cadmium, lithium, lead, graphite, and potassium hydroxide. Some are toxic and can leach into the landfill, poisoning plants and animals and contaminating the water table. Several of these materials are mined and are becoming increasingly rare, valuable, and expensive. Reusing these substances is critical because it is more economical and better for the environment.
  • New Mexico law makes it illegal to dispose of lead-acid batteries. They must be recycled. In 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will publish a report to Congress on best practices to collect and recycle all types of batteries. Some of the issues addressed are as follows: “When batteries are discarded improperly, such as in household trash or curbside recycling, critical materials inside batteries are lost and cannot be recycled into new batteries. Batteries can also start fires throughout the municipal waste management system, causing air pollution issues in already overburdened communities and threatening worker and first responder safety.”

To recycle your rechargeable, non-leaking batteries in the Taos County Solid Waste Recycling Program, just ask the attendant at the transfer station where to leave your batteries.

Taos County Transfer Station Locations:

https://taoscounty.org/368/Solid-Waste-Operations

For single-use batteries or leaking batteries: It is currently legal, though not ideal, to dispose of alkaline batteries in the trash. Some single-use batteries, such as coin or button cell, contain lithium primary and should be recycled if possible. This can be done through Call2Recycle, an industry-sponsored non-profit battery recycler. It accepts all types of batteries, including single-use batteries and damaged batteries (in special containers). It does this with prepaid mailers, which is your only cost. These range from small boxes to drums. See https://www.call2recycle.org/store/.

For information on commercial recycling in Taos County, contact: