# Can you put car batteries and lead-acid batteries in a du…

> No. Managed as universal waste under the federal rules at 40 CFR Part 273, and banned from disposal in Massachusetts by name. No hauler will take one…

Source: https://dumptergod.shop/what-can-go-in/lead-acid-batteries/
Last reviewed: 2026-08-17

# Can you put car batteries and lead-acid batteries in a dumpster?

Direct answer
**No.** Managed as universal waste under the federal rules at 40 CFR Part 273, and banned from disposal in Massachusetts by name. No hauler will take one knowingly. In Massachusetts the correct answer is different, and the rule is enforced at the disposal facility rather than at your driveway.

**General status**: No

**Rule type**: Federal

**Category**: Hazardous and regulated

**States verified**: MA

## Check your local rules

Permit rules and disposal bans are set by state and city and change frequently. This page reflects the sources listed as of the review date. Verify with the department named before you order.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-17

## Where the answer is different
- Massachusetts — Lead-acid batteries are a banned material. (310 CMR 19.017)

States not listed here are unverified, not permitted. We publish a state verdict only after reading the rule at the state agency, because a wrong answer here gets a load rejected at the transfer station and the cost lands on whoever rented the container.

## Where it goes instead

Any auto parts retailer takes them, and most refund a core deposit.

## Related questions
- The full accepted and prohibited materials matrix
- Can you put asbestos-containing material in a dumpster?
- Can you put paint and stain in a dumpster?
- Can you put propane tanks and gas cylinders in a dumpster?
- Can you put motor oil, antifreeze and fuel in a dumpster?
- State waste bans and recycling mandates

## Sources
- Primary source Universal Waste — 40 CFR Part 273 — US Environmental Protection Agency · last reviewed 2026-08-17
- Primary source MassDEP Waste Disposal Bans — Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection · last reviewed 2026-08-17mass.gov refuses automated requests from this build environment (HTTP 403). The ban list was read from the publisher’s own guide through a search index and cross-checked against the October 2021 amendment document below.

Reviewed by [R. Tiwari](https://dumptergod.shop/authors/r-tiwari/) Last reviewed: 2026-08-17