Where can I dispose of batteries in Sebastian, FL?

Indian River County's Customer Convenience Centers take rechargeable lithium-ion batteries from residents. The Roseland center is at 7860 130th St., Roseland, FL 32958. Centers are open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. but closed Wednesdays and one other weekday, so call 772-226-3212 first.

How do I get rid of a vape pen in Indian River County?

Do not put it in your trash or recycling cart. The county takes vape pens at its five Customer Convenience Centers, the main county landfill and participating retail stores.

Can I throw lithium batteries in the trash?

No. The EPA says lithium-ion batteries and devices that contain them should not go in household garbage or recycling bins, because they can catch fire when crushed. Tape the terminals or bag each battery and take it to a drop-off site.

Where can I take old paint in Indian River County?

The county's Customer Convenience Centers accept both water-based and oil-based paints from residents, along with motor oil, fluorescent bulbs and items that contain mercury.

Are Indian River County convenience centers open on Thanksgiving?

No. The county says the centers and the landfill close on New Year's Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Home care

Old batteries, vape pens and paint cans in your Sebastian garage? Where they go, and why not the cart

Indian River County was just named a statewide Recycling Champion for its vape pen program. Here is where Sebastian homeowners can drop off vape pens, lithium batteries, paint, motor oil and old electronics, and how to carry them there safely.

By The Sebastian Porch staff · November 2, 2026 · 4 min read · Sebastian, Indian River County

Most Sebastian garages have the same corner. A coffee can of dead batteries. A cordless drill battery that stopped holding a charge. Two half-used gallons of paint from the last bedroom job. Maybe a vape pen someone in the house gave up.

None of that should go in your trash cart. And this week there is a good reason to clean out that corner. On Oct. 27, Sebastian Daily reported that the Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation named Indian River County a 2026 Recycling Champion, one of 10 organizations statewide. The award recognizes the county's Solid Waste Disposal District for its vape pen collection program, which began in 2024.

Why the cart is the wrong place

Sebastian homes have weekly curbside garbage, yard waste and bulk pickup from WM under the city's universal collection service. That cart goes into a truck that compacts everything inside it.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says lithium-ion batteries, and devices that contain them, should not go in household garbage or recycling bins. When they get crushed in trucks or sorting equipment, they can catch fire. Vape pens are part of the same problem. Sebastian Daily reported that they often contain lithium-ion batteries and leftover nicotine or THC, and can start fires if crushed or damaged in trucks, facilities or landfills.

You may have more lithium batteries in the house than you think. The EPA lists cellphones, power tools, laptops, tablets, e-readers, digital cameras, children's toys, e-cigarettes and many appliances as products with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Single-use lithium batteries show up in watches, remote controls, handheld games, cameras and smoke detectors. Look for the word "lithium" on the battery.

Where Sebastian homeowners can take it

Indian River County runs five Customer Convenience Centers for county residents. These are the drop-off sites the county lists:

Roseland: 7860 130th St., Roseland, FL 32958
Fellsmere: 12510 County Road 512, Fellsmere, FL 32948
Winter Beach: 3955 65th St., Vero Beach, FL 32967
Gifford: 4901 41st St., Vero Beach, FL 32967
Oslo: 950 1st Pl., Vero Beach, FL 32962

The county says the centers are open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and are for residential use only. All of them are closed on Wednesday. Each center is also closed one other weekday, but the county's page lists those days in more than one way, so call before you drive over. The centers close on New Year's Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. With Thanksgiving coming Nov. 26, plan your trip for another day that week.

According to the county, the centers take these household hazardous items:

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries
Water-based and oil-based paints
Motor oil
Fluorescent light bulbs
Items that contain mercury
Medical sharps

They also take electronics, tires, scrap metal, white Styrofoam, plastic bags and plastic wrap, and small amounts of yard waste. Vape pens can go to any of the five centers, the main county landfill, or participating retail stores, according to the county's 2024 announcement of the program.

A few things go somewhere else. The county says construction and demolition debris, such as old drywall or tile from a remodel, goes straight to the county landfill and is charged a fee. So do branches more than three inches across and land-clearing debris. The landfill is at 1325 74th Ave. SW in Vero Beach. It is open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closes on the same five holidays.

How to carry batteries safely

A loose battery rolling around a box can short out against another one. The EPA's advice is simple: tape the battery terminals, or put each lithium-ion battery in its own plastic bag. Use tape that does not conduct electricity, like electrical tape.

If a battery is swollen, cracked or damaged, the EPA says to contact the battery or device maker for handling instructions before you move it. For big batteries, like a car battery or a home energy storage battery, the EPA says to ask the dealer, shop, maker or installer about options.

What to do this week

Walk the garage, the junk drawer and the shed. Pull out batteries, vape pens, old phones, paint, motor oil and fluorescent bulbs.
Tape the ends of every lithium battery with electrical tape, or bag each one by itself.
Keep paint cans closed and upright in a box so they cannot tip over in the car.
Call the Solid Waste Disposal District at 772-226-3212 to confirm which days your chosen center is open.
Make the drop-off trip any open day except Wednesday, and not on Thanksgiving Day.
Remodeling? Plan to take tile, drywall and other construction debris to the county landfill, not the convenience center.
Questions about your regular Sebastian curbside pickup? Call WM at 772-569-1776.

One trip clears out the garage corner and keeps a battery fire out of the back of a garbage truck on your street. Not a bad Saturday morning.

Common questions

Where can I dispose of batteries in Sebastian, FL?: Indian River County's Customer Convenience Centers take rechargeable lithium-ion batteries from residents. The Roseland center is at 7860 130th St., Roseland, FL 32958. Centers are open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. but closed Wednesdays and one other weekday, so call 772-226-3212 first.
How do I get rid of a vape pen in Indian River County?: Do not put it in your trash or recycling cart. The county takes vape pens at its five Customer Convenience Centers, the main county landfill and participating retail stores.
Can I throw lithium batteries in the trash?: No. The EPA says lithium-ion batteries and devices that contain them should not go in household garbage or recycling bins, because they can catch fire when crushed. Tape the terminals or bag each battery and take it to a drop-off site.
Where can I take old paint in Indian River County?: The county's Customer Convenience Centers accept both water-based and oil-based paints from residents, along with motor oil, fluorescent bulbs and items that contain mercury.
Are Indian River County convenience centers open on Thanksgiving?: No. The county says the centers and the landfill close on New Year's Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.