Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) —  The Solid Waste Disposal Authority of Baldwin County will waive battery disposal fees during a local collection event. The effort aims to provide residents with a safe way to dispose of batteries. Officials ask residents not to place batteries in household trash or recycling bins. The free drop-off is limited to participating locations.

Skip the Bin. National Battery Take-Back Day will be held one week from today, Saturday, September 12, 2026. The Solid Waste Disposal Authority (SWDA) will waive its usual battery disposal fees from 7 a.m. to noon. The event is open to Baldwin County residents.

Residents can bring batteries to the Orange Beach CHaRM location at 22510 Russian Rd., Gulf Shores, or to the Fairhope CHaRM location at 20609 Bishop Rd., Fairhope. Both locations participate in the fee waiver program.

The waiver applies only at participating CHaRM locations during the scheduled event hours. It will not be available at SWDA landfills. Residents who take batteries to a landfill should not expect the National Battery Take-Back Day fee waiver to apply.

The collection includes batteries from many everyday items, such as phones, watches, tablets, vacuums, power tools, and cars. Residents are encouraged to check devices around their homes before bringing batteries to a CHaRM location.

SWDA asked residents to remove batteries from their devices before disposal. Doing so can help residents avoid additional fees. The authority also wants batteries handled separately from the electronics or other items they were used with.

Batteries can pose disposal concerns when they are mixed with normal household waste. The event is designed to help keep batteries out of trash containers and recycling bins. Safe disposal can prevent batteries from entering waste and recycling streams where they do not belong.

National Battery Take-Back Day is part of a broader effort to promote proper battery disposal. The event offers residents a no-fee opportunity to drop off batteries at approved collection sites. Participating CHaRM facilities will accept materials only during the listed hours.



More information on battery safety and National Battery Take-Back Day is available at Battery Safety Now.