RALEIGH, N.C. — The rechargeable battery in an old phone, toothbrush or power tool will soon be off-limits for the kitchen trash can in North Carolina. Beginning Dec. 1, state law bans lithium-ion batteries from landfills and incinerators.
The change amends G.S. 130A-309.10, the section of state law that already keeps lead-acid batteries, televisions and antifreeze out of landfills and incinerators. Lithium-ion cells power electric vehicles, cellphones, security systems and a long list of household appliances, so the rule reaches into nearly every home.
The concern is fire. These batteries pack a lot of energy into a small space, which makes them flammable when crushed or shorted in a garbage truck or sorting line. Testing by the federal National Institute of Standards and Technology showed they can throw off flames hotter than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit almost as soon as they ignite. In Wake County, a battery tossed in the wrong place sparked a January 2025 fire at the North Wake Household Hazardous Waste Facility, with repairs estimated at more than $1.5 million.
The state Department of Environmental Quality is telling cities and counties to get ready now. Its guidance urges local governments to set up safe collection plans, often with a certified household hazardous waste vendor, and to add drop-off points at places residents already visit, such as libraries, town halls and fire stations. Collection sites are encouraged to take every type of battery residents bring, not just the two kinds the law bans.
For households, the safe routine is simple. Cover the metal terminals with non-conductive tape or bag each battery on its own, keep them in an unsealed container such as a plastic tub in a cool, dry spot, and take them to a household hazardous waste site within about six months. Many retailers also accept batteries through store take-back and mail-in programs.
Recovered batteries do not go to waste. Recyclers break them down so metals such as lithium, iron and nickel can be used again, and some extract the material used to make new batteries.
