CURBCYCLE PICKUP · We’ll pick it up and recycle it for you.Book a pickup →
Book a pickup

Battery Recycling in Johnston, IA

Johnston has a free MWA battery drop-off box at the Public Library; batteries are not taken at Spring Cleanup.

See all 6 options

Checked October 26, 2026 · Call before you go · How we check

6 ways to get rid of a battery in Johnston

Tap an option to see the address, hours, cost and rules.

Show
  1. CurbCycle PickupPickup from your home · JohnstonNo haulingWe recycle it for youFrom $75.00
    How it works

    Book online, set out your battery and we’ll pick it up and recycle it for you. You see your price before you book and pay only after pickup.

    Book a pickup →

  2. Metro Hazardous Waste Drop-Off (Metro Waste Authority Regional Collection Center, Bondurant)County service · Polk CountyPolk County residentsFree
    How it works

    Metro Waste Authority's Regional Collection Center for household hazardous waste at 1105 Prairie Drive SW, Bondurant, IA 50035 (Census: Bondurant city, Polk County). Open Tuesday-Friday 10 AM-6 PM and Saturday 8 AM-noon. Most household hazardous items are free up to 75 lbs; appliances, electronics, TVs, latex paint and tires carry fees. Also a recycling and bottle/can drop-off and a Swap Shop. Phone 515-967-5512.

    Cost & rules
    • Tuesday-Friday 10 AM-6 PM, Saturday 8 AM-noon; closed on major holidays.
    • Free up to 75 lbs; $1/lb above that.

    Official page (opens in new tab)

  3. Metro Waste Authority battery drop-off containersCounty service · Polk CountyOpen to everyoneFree
    How it works

    Free battery drop-off containers at city halls, libraries and public works buildings across the Des Moines metro, serviced by Metro Waste Authority. They take loose household batteries (alkaline, button, power-tool) and small rechargeable electronics like laptops, tablets and phones; bag each battery.

    Cost & rules
    • Household batteries only; bag each battery in the bags provided. Larger or damaged batteries go to the Bondurant or Grimes hazardous waste sites.

    Official page (opens in new tab)

  4. Metro Waste Authority houseside hazardous waste collectionCounty service · Polk CountyJohnston residents$25/visit
    How it works

    On-demand pickup of household hazardous waste at the door for residents of MWA member communities eligible for Curb It! recycling. $25 per collection; MWA drops off a 12-gallon bin and a bag, then collects when called (515-244-0021).

    Cost & rules
    Fees
    Houseside collection$25 per visit
    • $25 per collection; call 515-244-0021 to schedule once the bin is full.

    Official page (opens in new tab)

  5. Iowa lead-acid battery retailer take-back (Iowa Code 455D.10)State program · IowaOpen to everyoneConditions applyCost not listed
    How it works

    Lead-acid (car, truck, boat and motorcycle) batteries may not go in the trash or a landfill in Iowa. Stores that sell lead-acid batteries must accept your used battery when you buy a new one, at the point of sale, and must post a notice saying so. The law does not say whether a store must take a battery without a purchase or whether it may charge; DNR notes some stores will. Regional Collection Centers also take them.

    Cost & rules
    • Lead-acid batteries only, when you buy a new lead-acid battery from the store. The law does not say whether a store must take one without a purchase or whether it may charge; some stores take them anyway.
    • Lead-acid batteries may not go in the garbage or a landfill in Iowa. Your Regional Collection Center also takes them.

    Official page (opens in new tab)

  6. The Battery Network (formerly Call2Recycle) store drop-off (Iowa)Nonprofit service · IowaOpen to everyoneConditions applyCost not listed
    How it works

    Iowa DNR lists Call2Recycle, now called The Battery Network, among battery recycling options. Most of its drop-off sites take common household and rechargeable batteries; some take e-bike or other large batteries. Find a site with the ZIP code locator and check what each location accepts. The locator page does not say whether drop-off is free.

    Cost & rules
    • Most sites take common household and rechargeable batteries; some take e-bike or high-energy batteries. Check the location's details first.
    • Do not put rechargeable batteries in the trash or the recycling bin.

    Official page (opens in new tab)

Before you go

  1. Tape the terminals of lithium and rechargeable batteries before transport.
  2. Keep damaged, swollen or leaking batteries separate and tell the operator.
  3. Ask which battery types are accepted; car batteries often go somewhere different.
More about batteries

Iowa rules

More Iowa rules (16)
Where this information comes from (38)

Where this information comes from

Checked October 26, 2026

  • Metro Hazardous Waste Drop-off (opens in new tab) · Metro Waste Authority
    • Household hazardous waste drop-off hours are Tuesday-Friday 10 AM-6 PM and Saturday 8 AM-noon, closed on major holidays. Checked October 26, 2026.
  • Hazardous Waste Satellite Locations (opens in new tab) · Metro Waste Authority
    • The Bondurant drop-off is designated as a regional collection site where residents and businesses can drop off hazardous waste; MWA also partners with nearby counties for satellite sites. Checked October 26, 2026.
  • Iowa DNR: Regional Collection Centers & Grants (opens in new tab) · Iowa Department of Natural Resources
    • Iowa DNR's RCC table lists Metro Waste Authority (1105 Prairie Dr. SW, Bondurant) as the Main RCC for Polk, Dallas, Warren, Boone, Story, Marshall and 14 other counties. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • DNR lists Metro Waste Authority as the Main RCC for Dallas County. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • DNR lists Metro Waste Authority as the Main RCC for Warren County, with a South Central Iowa SWA satellite in Winterset. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • Iowa has 28 main RCCs and 43 satellite facilities serving 96 of the state's counties. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • Some counties are served by RCC mobile collection events run under contract with a main RCC; 29 counties have RCC mobile service. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • Many RCCs run a Swap Shop where usable products can be dropped off for others to take at no charge. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • DNR publishes a county-by-county table of the RCC main and satellite facilities that serve each county. Checked October 26, 2026.
  • Rates & Accepted Items (residential hazardous waste) (opens in new tab) · Metro Waste Authority
    • Most items are free of charge up to 75 lbs; items marked free are weighed and a $1/lb overage fee applies above 75 lbs. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • Items marked free of charge are weighed; there is a $1/lb overage fee above the 75 lb limit. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • Rechargeable and alkaline batteries are marked free (up to 75 lbs) and are accepted at Bondurant, Grimes and through houseside collection (houseside pickup itself carries a fee). Checked October 26, 2026.
  • Batteries (Recycling & Disposal Guide) (opens in new tab) · Metro Waste Authority
    • Batteries are accepted free (up to 75 lbs) at the Grimes (appointment) and Bondurant sites, including vehicle batteries and leaking, cracked, swollen or defective batteries. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • MWA has partnered with metro communities on battery drop-off containers; all residents are welcome to use these free drop-offs. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • Containers accept laptops and tablets plus loose household batteries including alkaline, button and power-tool batteries; bag each battery using the bags provided. Checked October 26, 2026.
  • Houseside Collection (opens in new tab) · Metro Waste Authority
    • Houseside collection is available to residents of Altoona, Ankeny, Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Johnston, Urbandale, West Des Moines and other MWA member communities. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • Eligible households are those eligible for Curb It! recycling (and townhomes with private driveways); waste must come from a household. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • There is a $25 fee per houseside collection. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • Sign up online or call 515-244-0021; once the bin is filled, call MWA to schedule collection. Checked October 26, 2026.
  • Recycling Drop-Offs (opens in new tab) · Metro Waste Authority
    • Johnston battery drop-off: Public Library, 6700 Merle Hay Road. Checked October 26, 2026.
  • Iowa DNR: Household Hazardous Materials (opens in new tab) · Iowa Department of Natural Resources
    • Iowa households can take household hazardous materials to Regional Collection Centers (RCCs); RCC services are free to residents within each RCC's service area. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • RCC services for eligible businesses carry a small fee. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • DNR tells residents to find their nearest RCC and schedule an appointment before dropping off hazardous materials. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • DNR says not to dump hazardous materials in ditches, pour them down drains or sewers, or put them in the trash. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • DNR says rechargeable batteries should not go in the trash or the recycling bin. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries can be recycled only at specified locations; DNR says to ask the local solid waste agency or RCC where. Checked October 26, 2026.
  • Iowa Code chapter 455F: Household hazardous materials (opens in new tab) · Iowa Legislature (Legislative Services Agency)
    • Under Iowa Code chapter 455F, regional collection centers keep regular hours when the public may drop off hazardous materials. Checked October 26, 2026.
  • Iowa Code 455D.10: Land disposal of lead acid batteries prohibited; collection for recycling (opens in new tab) · Iowa Legislature (Legislative Services Agency)
    • Land disposal of lead-acid batteries has been prohibited in Iowa since July 1, 1990. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • Lead-acid battery wholesalers must accept used lead-acid batteries from retailers and wholesale customers. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • Iowa retailers selling lead-acid batteries must accept used lead-acid batteries from customers buying new ones, at the point of sale. Checked October 26, 2026.
  • Iowa DNR disposal guide: Batteries (Lead Acid) (opens in new tab) · Iowa Department of Natural Resources
    • DNR: it is illegal in Iowa to put lead-acid batteries in the garbage or trash. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • DNR says lead-acid batteries may also be recycled at the local Regional Collection Center. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • DNR: the law requires retailers to accept an old lead-acid battery at the point of sale when you buy a new one. Checked October 26, 2026.
  • Iowa DNR fact sheet: Battery Recycling/Disposal (revised 8/2015) (opens in new tab) · Iowa Department of Natural Resources
    • DNR notes that some retailers will take a lead-acid battery even without a new battery purchase. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • A 2015 DNR fact sheet describes ordinary alkaline, carbon-zinc and zinc-air batteries as nonhazardous, while pointing to recycling options. Checked October 26, 2026.
  • Iowa Code 455D.10A: Household batteries; heavy metal content and recycling requirements (opens in new tab) · Iowa Legislature (Legislative Services Agency)
    • Nickel-cadmium, sealed lead-acid and mercuric-oxide household batteries may be sold in Iowa only while a required collection and recycling or disposal system is operating. Checked October 26, 2026.
  • The Battery Network (formerly Call2Recycle): Drop-off Locations (opens in new tab) · The Battery Network
    • Enter a ZIP code in The Battery Network locator to find drop-off sites. Checked October 26, 2026.
    • Most sites take common household and rechargeable batteries; check each location's details before visiting. Checked October 26, 2026.

“Checked” means we read the official page on that date. Things can change, so call before you go.

How we check our information