Home Depot Recycling for Batteries, Bulbs and Pots
Home Depot stores take rechargeable batteries, intact CFL bulbs and plastic garden pots for free recycling; here is what each bin accepts.
By Olivia HarperContributing writer. Policy checked .
On this page
Store programs change. This is a summary in our own words of three recycling pages on Eco Actions, The Home Depot's own sustainability site, read on October 26, 2026. The pages carry a November 2021 date, so ask at your local store before you make a special trip.
What the stores take
The Home Depot says every store has a recycling station at the entrance for batteries, CFL bulbs and plastic shopping bags. Plastic plant pots go to a separate rack in the garden center. All of it is free.
| Item | Where it goes | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Rechargeable batteries | Bin at the store entrance | Up to 11 pounds and under 300 watt hours, not leaking |
| CFL bulbs | Bin at the store entrance | Intact and undamaged |
| Plastic shopping bags | Recycling station at the entrance | None listed |
| Plastic garden pots | Rack in the garden center | Any plastic garden container |
Battery recycling
Battery collection runs with Call2Recycle, a nonprofit recycling program. Home Depot accepts any rechargeable battery that weighs up to 11 pounds and holds less than 300 watt hours. Its list names these chemistries:
- Rechargeable nickel cadmium (NiCad)
- Rechargeable nickel metal hydride
- Rechargeable lithium-ion
- Lithium single-use button cells
- Rechargeable small sealed lead acid batteries
The same list also mentions auto and tractor batteries. Because the weight limit still applies, call your store before you bring a car battery.
To drop batteries off, put each one in one of the plastic bags at the bin, then place it in the Call2Recycle bin. Leaking batteries are not accepted.
Ordinary single-use household batteries are not on the list. The page notes that rechargeable batteries are easy to recycle while household batteries are not, so plan on another drop-off option for those.
Light bulb recycling
Home Depot takes compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, as long as they are whole and undamaged. Use the recycling bin at the entrance, bag each bulb in one of the plastic bags provided, and drop it in. There is no fee.
CFLs contain mercury, which is why they should stay out of the household trash. If one breaks at home, Home Depot's advice is to get people and pets out of the room, open the windows, switch off the heating or cooling system, let the room air out for at least 10 minutes, and then follow EPA cleanup guidance. A broken bulb cannot go in the store bin.
The page speaks only of CFLs. It says nothing about LED, halogen or fluorescent tube bulbs, so ask the store before you bring those.
Plastic plant pots
Since 2009 Home Depot has collected used plastic plant pots with East Jordan Plastics, which turns them into new trays and containers for nurseries and garden centers. Look for a black recycling sign with a green plant in the garden center and leave the pots on the rack. Any plastic garden container is accepted.
Trade-in
None of the three Home Depot pages we read describes a trade-in or store credit for old batteries, bulbs or tools. Recycling at Home Depot is a free drop-off, not a buyback.
Sources
Recycle Rechargeable Batteries at The Home Depot, Recycle Compact Fluorescent Bulbs at The Home Depot and Recycle Plastic Plant Pots at The Home Depot, The Home Depot. Checked October 26, 2026.