Orange County warns residents on safe battery disposal, HHW schedule

Orange County is telling residents that a battery tossed in the wrong bin is not just a nuisance, it can become a fire risk at County Transfer Stations and may bring a fine. The county is using a new public-service push to steer households toward its hazardous-waste system, where batteries, chemicals and other problem materials can be handled separately from regular trash and recycling.

The next county household hazardous waste collection is scheduled for Friday, May 8, for pre-registered schools, farms, municipalities and businesses, and Saturday, May 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Orange County residents with valid county ID. The resident event will be held at Orange County Transfer Station #1 Maintenance Garage, 21 Training Center Lane, New Hampton. County officials say the residential drop-off is free, but limited to residential quantities only.

The county’s battery guidance says residents can now bring both single-use batteries and rechargeable batteries to local Staples stores in 2026. For covered rechargeable batteries, Orange County lists nickel-cadmium, sealed lead, lithium ion and nickel metal hydride, along with any other dry cell battery capable of being recharged and battery packs that contain those batteries. The county also points residents to New York’s Rechargeable Battery Law, signed in December 2010, which requires manufacturers to fund a no-cost collection program for covered rechargeable batteries.

Orange County is also reminding residents that some materials belong in the county’s regular recycling and transfer-station system, while others do not. Resident recycling areas at transfer stations accept car batteries, used motor oil and antifreeze. Transfer stations also accept household bagged garbage, commingled recyclables, mixed paper, tires, electronics, empty propane tanks, scrap metal, air conditioners and refrigerators or freezers. Improper disposal of batteries is especially dangerous because it can ignite fires where waste is sorted and stored, putting workers, first responders and surrounding communities at risk.

The county’s message comes as spring cleanup season tends to send more household clutter to the curb, from old batteries and lawn equipment to broken electronics and leftover fluids. By directing residents to the May HHW event in New Hampton and to the county’s battery-recycling options at Staples, Orange County says it is trying to keep hazardous material out of the wrong waste stream, protect the environment and spare residents avoidable fines and damage.