Disposal of dead solar batteries

[chrisw5]

I have some old FLA Surrette 6V 546 Ah batteries that have finally kicked the bucket. Anyone here have any suggestions of how to dispose or get salvage value out of them? Where do old solar batteries go when they die?

 

[MPRanger]

Don’t know where you live or exactly the comp of described cells; but, here in America most auto parts stores will take them for recycling purposes without giving you much more than a smile: so, where do old solar batteries go when the die? Well they seem to deplete our reserves.

 

[Short_Shot]

Lead acid gets recycled. Usually the ones doing it make a pretty profit from it.

Try to find a place that buys them if you can, though most require significant quantities before they will pay and some clowns will even charge you to "dispose" of them.

 

[rin67630]

Here in Germany, we have $8 legal deposit on car and solar batteries.
You get the deposit back when you bring the battery back (or the old one) to the vendor or produce a certificate from the communal recycling yard.

 

[Charlie Woods]

...most auto parts stores will take them for recycling purposes without giving you much more than a smile

This has been my exact experience at O'Reilly auto parts.

I walk in the store, set a battery in their bin of old batteries, and walk out.

Also, stores like Home Depot and Lowe's often have a collection bin near the door for old tool batteries.

 

[Mcgivor]

Recycling depots are where to dispose lead acid batteries, even in Thailand I received Thb 8500 for a bank that cost Thb 38 000, over 20% of the initial cost is scrap value.

 

[A.Justice]

My local scrap yard paid $5-15 depending on the size of the car battery, they paid per pound. I used to keep my old ones and scrap them, I got more scrapping, than I could get for the "core charge". I imagine that those will be worth a pretty penny in lead scrap value.

Call local scrap yards and ask. They are worth too much (for me, at least) to just give back to auto-zone for "recycling", which normally means that they scrap it and keep the money instead of you.

 

[740GLE]

What’s the weight of those I’m guessing >200lbs? Call around before your swing those by your local auto auto parts place, they prob won’t take them.

Schnitzer is a huge global recycler they pay for FLA batteries. With the gravity of those batteries, it maybe worth while giving them a call and you may pocket a few bucks but might have to travel to find your local depot.

the other option is your local solar store where you bought them from? If you bought on line, the shipping/handling of those batteries prob wipe out any sort of coin you may see.

 

[Mcgivor]

Don't take them to an auto store, or the like for core value, sell for mass, if there isn't a scale you're getting ripped off for pennies on the dollar.

 

[kenryan]

Coscto will charge you and extra $10 if you DON'T trade in an old battery, so there must be some value there.

 

[Wellbuilt]

I take battery’s to the scrap yard , they pay buy the pound .
Some times I can get 60 bucks for a large car battery .
Lead price is low now , so I have a bunch of battery piled up .
When the price of lead go’s up I will sell it .
I recycle copper brass aluminum stainless steel

 

[MichaelK]

I have some old FLA Surrette 6V 546 Ah batteries that have finally kicked the bucket.

BTW, can you tell us how long they actually lasted, and how you determined they were at the end of their lives?

 

[schmism]

As others have said, Old FLA gets recycled. However in my area of the midwest if you dont return one for a "core" charge and just want to take one to the scrap yard its tyically a 10-$20 FEE EACH. You pay to get rid of them instead of them paying you. I dont know of any retail location that will take a pallet of batteries that you unload off the back of your truck.

 

[circus]

I like to go to the scrap yard and trade the dead battery + $25 for a good battery. Usually car batteries. Good or bad, it's worth the same to them. Sort of crap shoot but better than just giving it away.

 

[740GLE]

I like to go to the scrap yard and trade the dead battery + $25 for a good battery. Usually car batteries. Good or bad, it's worth the same to them. Sort of crap shoot but better than just giving it away.

You go to the scrap yard with +200# batteries to trade? These are on a different scale than a group 27 FLA car battery.

 

[Short_Shot]

You go to the scrap yard with +200# batteries to trade? These are on a different scale than a group 27 FLA car battery.

Not sure why that is hard to believe. I have done it a few times. Not... leaving with one, but bringing them to the scrap yard in substantial quantities.

 

[Rider]

I've taken a number to the metal scrap yard, got good money for them.

However, there are doomsday preppers and gun enthusists who will happily buy them for the lead to make ammo. Bullets are scarce right now, and anyone who can make their own will gladly pay for the lead.

 

[Wellbuilt]

Wow it’s very dangerous melting down car batteries for lead they have all kinds of chemicals that don’t like to be heated.

 

[Short_Shot]

Wow it’s very dangerous melting down car batteries for lead they have all kinds of chemicals that don’t like to be heated.

Yeah sure. If you're in a third world country with no regard for worker safety.

Otherwise there are safe recycling methods in place which usually involve rinsing the plates and recycling the waste water.

Even still, for the hobbyist you can technically send sulfuric acid down the drain if it's dilute enough to not ruin your plumbing.

In fact it used to be fairly common as a drain cleaner and to this day is still used in some "ultra strength" cleaners.

I've seen these things done myself.

 

[Short_Shot]

In fact if you're that worried about it, and your electrolyte is actually sulfuric acid, I'm fairly certain you can mix it with sodium hydroxide and turn it into literal saltwater. Albeit, this salt is a sulfate and you don't want to drink it. But it is a neutralization process.

But please consult an expert before trying this at home kids. I am not an expert.

(PS, you turns out you can still buy straight up sulfuric acid drain cleaner rather than it being a minor component)