How to dispose of batteries in the Cayman Islands
Where each kind goes, from AAs to car, e-bike, golf cart and EV batteries, what happens to them next, and how to keep lithium batteries from starting a fire.
The short answer
- Never put batteries in the household bin. Lithium batteries can be crushed in the garbage truck or at the landfill and catch fire.
- Which battery goes where is in the table below.
- Free for residents. Nothing is processed on island; DEH ships batteries to a broker in the United States.
- Questions: Department of Environmental Health, 949-6696 (Sister Islands 948-2321).
Which battery goes where
| Battery | Where to take it | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Household AA, AAA, 9V, button and coin cells, rechargeables, phone and laptop | A blue or pink DEH battery tube (every major supermarket, plus schools, libraries and more), or the George Town Landfill 24-hour drop-off | Free |
| Lead-acid Car, motorcycle, boat, outdoor power equipment | George Town Landfill 24-hour drop-off; Cayman Brac or Little Cayman landfill by appointment (948-2321) | Free |
| E-bike and e-scooter | George Town Landfill 24-hour drop-off | Free |
| Golf cart and home storage Including solar storage like a Powerwall | Recycling processing area at the George Town Landfill, weekdays; not the 24-hour drop-off | Free |
| EV and hybrid | Call DEH first on 949-6696 | Ask DEH |
DEH is the Department of Environmental Health: 949-6696, Sister Islands 948-2321, dehcustomerservice@gov.ky.
Household batteries
This covers almost everything in a kitchen drawer: alkaline AA, AAA and 9V, zinc carbon, button and coin cells (watches, car keys, hearing aids), rechargeable NiMH and NiCd, and the lithium-ion batteries in old phones and laptops.
Where: DEH's battery recycling tubes, blue or pink. Every major supermarket has one, including Foster's, Hurley's, Cost-U-Less and Kirk Market, DEH told us; on Cayman Brac, look for the blue tubes in the supermarkets. The 24-hour drop-off at the George Town Landfill takes household batteries too, any time of day.
A phone or laptop with the battery still inside goes to the recycling area at the George Town Landfill, or a private service such as E-Waste Cayman Islands Ltd (see our recycling guide).
Where the battery bins are
Besides the supermarkets, DEH lists these Grand Cayman sites, by district. The list is undated, and DEH says individual tubes move, so check a site has one before a special trip.
West Bay
- Sir John A. Cumber Primary School
- Grace Christian Academy
- Wesleyan Christian Academy
- West Bay Public Library
- Foster's - Republix
- Foster's at Camana Bay
- Cost-U-Less
George Town
- Cayman Academy
- Cayman Preparatory School
- St. Ignatius Catholic School
- Triple C School
- John Gray High School
- Priced Right - The Airport Centre
- Foster's Food Fair - The Airport Centre
- George Town Primary School
- CI Further Education Centre
- Truth For Youth School
- University College of the Cayman Islands
- Victory Tabernacle Church
Central George Town
- CI Monetary Authority
- Government Administration Building
- Kirk Office
- Solomon Harris, Attorneys-at-Law, First Caribbean House
Industrial Park area
- Department of Environmental Health (DEH) at the CI Environmental Centre
- Department of Environment (DoE) at the CI Environmental Centre
- Harbour House Marine
- Mosquito Research Control Unit
- Public Works Department
- Water Authority
Prospect / Red Bay
- First Baptist Christian School
- Hope Academy
- Hurley's Supermarket
- Light House School
- Prospect Primary School
- Red Bay Primary School
Bodden Town
- Foster's - Countryside
- Savannah Primary School
- International College of the Cayman Islands
- Bodden Town Primary School
- Bodden Town Health Centre
- Bodden Town Library
- Lorn's Bodden Town Gas Station
East End
- East End Primary School
- East End Health Centre
- Foster's
North Side
- Clifton Hunter High School
- North Side Primary School
- North Side Health Centre
- North Side Public Library
- Chisholm's Supermarket
Car, motorcycle and boat batteries
Lead-acid batteries, the heavy ones from cars, motorcycles, boats and lawn equipment, go to the 24-hour drop-off at the entrance to the George Town Landfill, free. On Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, take them to the island's landfill by appointment: call the DEH Sister Islands office on 948-2321 first. They can't go in the Brac school recycling bins.
No retailer, auto parts shop or dealer take-back scheme is published in Cayman, so if a garage offers to keep your old battery when you buy a new one, ask what it does with it. Carry the battery upright, so it doesn't leak acid in your car.
Scrapping a whole vehicle? DEH says the battery should be removed first. See the vehicle section of our recycling guide.
E-bike and e-scooter batteries
They go to the 24-hour drop-off at the entrance to the George Town Landfill, free, DEH told us in October 2026. That replaces DEH's 2021 battery flyer, which sent them to the recycling processing area. Never put one in the household bin.
EV and hybrid batteries
An electric or hybrid car battery is large, heavy and high voltage. Call DEH on 949-6696 before you drop one off: DEH confirmed in October 2026 that its 2021 advice still stands. Its 2021 flyer sends these packs to the recycling processing area at the George Town or Cayman Brac landfill. No dealer take-back scheme is published in Cayman, but ask the dealer that sold or services the car what it offers.
For running costs, charging and what to know before buying, see our electric vehicles guide.
Golf cart and home storage batteries
Golf cart batteries and home solar storage packs (a Tesla Powerwall, for example) go to the recycling processing area at the George Town Landfill during weekday operating hours, not the 24-hour drop-off, DEH told us. Drop-off is free. DEH hasn't said what the processing area's hours are, so call 949-6696 before a special trip, and ask the installer or supplier whether it will take the old unit back.
What happens to them
Nothing is processed on island. DEH packages vehicle lead-acid batteries, processed household batteries and other hazardous waste and ships them to a broker in the United States. Keeping batteries out of the household bin matters here for two reasons: they don't end up in the George Town Landfill, and they don't start fires in the truck or on the tip.
Lithium battery safety
DEH asks people not to put batteries in their regular garbage: in 2021 it linked three George Town Landfill fires to batteries, which can be punctured, or spark from pressure and heat, in trucks and at the landfill.
General battery safety, not DEH guidance:
- Tape the terminals of lithium batteries (and 9V batteries) with clear tape, or put each one in its own small plastic bag, so they can't short against each other in a bin or box.
- Damaged, swollen or hot? Stop using and charging it, keep it outside away from anything that can burn, and call DEH on 949-6696 before you transport it.
- Don't stockpile. A drawer of old batteries is a fire risk, especially in hurricane season and in a hot car. Drop them off as you go.
Questions people ask
Where can I recycle household batteries in the Cayman Islands?
Drop AA, AAA, 9V, button, rechargeable and phone or laptop batteries in a Department of Environmental Health (DEH) battery tube, blue or pink. Every major supermarket has one, including Foster's, Hurley's, Cost-U-Less and Kirk Market, DEH told us in October 2026. DEH also lists about 50 other sites, such as schools, libraries and health centres, but that list is undated. The 24-hour drop-off at the George Town Landfill takes them too. Free.
How do I get rid of an old car battery in Grand Cayman?
Take it to the DEH 24-hour drop-off at the entrance to the George Town Landfill. It's free for residents. On Cayman Brac or Little Cayman, take it to the island's landfill by appointment: call the DEH Sister Islands office on 948-2321 first.
Where do e-bike and e-scooter batteries go in Cayman?
The DEH 24-hour drop-off at the entrance to the George Town Landfill, DEH told us in October 2026. It's free. Never put one in the household bin.
How do I dispose of a golf cart or solar storage battery in Cayman?
Take it to the recycling processing area at the George Town Landfill during weekday operating hours, not the 24-hour drop-off, DEH told us in October 2026. Drop-off is free for residents.
Can I put batteries in my household rubbish in Cayman?
No. DEH asks people not to put batteries in their regular garbage: they can be punctured or crushed in the garbage truck or at the landfill and start a fire. Use a DEH battery tube or the landfill drop-off instead.
Are batteries recycled in the Cayman Islands?
Not on island. DEH packages vehicle lead-acid batteries, processed household batteries and other hazardous waste and ships them to a broker in the United States.
Methodology and sources
Built from the Department of Environmental Health's own pages, which are undated but were live when we checked on 17 October 2026: Recycling (the battery bin list) and Waste disposal (the 24-hour drop-off, off-island shipping and vehicle rules). Battery-type guidance comes from DEH's 2021 battery flyer, "Know your batteries", and Radio Cayman (February 2021). Fees, the supermarket tubes, e-bike, golf cart, home storage and EV batteries, the Sister Islands and where batteries are shipped are from the Department of Environmental Health, email to Daily.ky, 26 October 2026; where it differs from the flyer or web pages, we follow the email. The safety tips marked as general advice are not from DEH. Rules change, so call DEH on 949-6696 before a large drop-off. Spotted something out of date? Email info@daily.ky. Last updated: 27 October 2026.
Waiting on answers: We have asked DEH what the recycling processing area's hours are and whether it opens on Saturdays. We'll update this page when they reply.