How to Dispose of an Old Lawn Mower Safely and Legally

Over the past 15 years, I have tested, repaired, and eventually retired dozens of lawn mowers. From heavy steel-deck Toro gas mowers to lightweight Greenworks battery-powered models, every machine eventually reaches the end of its lifespan. When that time comes, disposing of them is rarely as simple as dragging them out to the curb. Municipal trash collectors will almost always leave motorized equipment sitting right where you left it.

You need a specific plan. Improper disposal of a mower is not just bad for the environment; it is often illegal due to the oil, gasoline, and lithium-ion batteries involved. I made plenty of mistakes early in my career, like showing up at a scrap yard with a gas tank full of stale fuel, only to be turned away.

This guide covers exactly what you need to do to safely prep your old machine and get it off your property.

Quick Answer

The best way to dispose of an old lawn mower is to first drain all gasoline and engine oil, or completely remove the lithium-ion battery. Once the machine is prepped and safe, you can sell it to a local scrap metal yard, donate it to a small engine repair program, drop it at a municipal recycling center, or schedule a bulky waste pickup through your city.

What You Will Need to Prep Your Mower

Before you can responsibly get rid of your mower, you have to neutralize the hazardous materials inside it. This requires a few basic shop tools and fluid containers.

Gathering these items before you start will save you a massive headache later. You do not want to be caught holding a drain plug without a pan underneath it.

Having the right gear on hand makes the teardown process take 15 minutes instead of an hour. Keep an old rag nearby as well, because handling used engine oil is always a messy job.

Before You Start — Safety and Preparation

Safety is the absolute priority when retiring outdoor power equipment. You are dealing with highly flammable liquids, combustible vapors, and heavy, sharp metal parts. If you are dealing with a battery-powered mower, you are managing high-voltage lithium-ion cells that pose serious fire risks if punctured or crushed.

Draining the Fluids (Gas Mowers)

Scrap yards and recycling centers will reject your lawn mower immediately if it smells like fresh gasoline or is leaking oil. You must drain both completely.

To remove the gas, use a cheap hand siphon pump to pull the fuel out of the tank and into an approved jerry can. Never dump old gas on the ground or down a drain. Once the tank is mostly empty, start the mower and let it run until the engine completely dies. This burns off the residual fuel in the carburetor and fuel lines.

To drain the oil, locate the oil drain plug under the mower deck. If your mower does not have a drain plug, you will need to tip the mower on its side and pour the oil directly out of the dipstick tube into an oil catch pan.

⚠️ Warning: Always tip a gas lawn mower with the spark plug and carburetor facing UP. Tipping it the wrong way will flood the engine cylinder and air filter with oil, creating a massive, leaking mess on your driveway.

Removing Batteries (Electric and Riding Mowers)

Electric push mowers are much easier to prep, but you still have to follow strict rules. Never throw a lithium-ion battery into the regular trash. Garbage trucks compact their loads, which easily crushes these batteries and sparks uncontrollable fires. Simply slide the battery out of the mower deck and set it aside for dedicated electronics recycling.

If you are disposing of an old riding lawn mower, you need to remove the heavy lead-acid battery under the seat. Disconnect the negative (black) cable first, followed by the positive (red) cable, and lift the battery out.

Prepping Different Mower Types

Different mowers require different levels of preparation before they leave your garage. Knowing what you are up against helps you plan your afternoon.

Getting these steps right ensures you will not be turned away when you arrive at the drop-off location. It also protects the sanitation workers handling your old equipment.

5 Ways to Dispose of Your Old Mower (Step-by-Step)

Once your mower is completely drained of fluids or stripped of its battery, you have several reliable options for getting rid of it. I have personally used all of these methods, and the right choice depends on how much time you have and what kind of vehicle you own.

Method 1: Local Scrap Metal Recycling

Scrapping your mower is usually the most efficient route, and you can even make a few dollars. Lawn mowers are dense pieces of machinery made largely of steel and cast aluminum.

1. Call your local scrap yard to confirm they accept lawn mowers (most do, provided fluids are drained).

2. Load the prepped mower into a truck or SUV.

3. Drive onto the scrap yard scale, drop the mower in the designated shred metal pile, and weigh out.

4. Collect your cash ticket from the front office.

Method 2: Donating or Selling for Parts

Even if a mower has a cracked engine block or a bent crankshaft, the peripheral parts are highly valuable to someone else.

Take a few clear photos of the mower and list it on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for $20, or list it for free. Mechanics and hobbyists constantly hunt for “junk” mowers to salvage wheels, carburetors, control cables, and grass bags. If you list a recognizable brand like Honda, Toro, or EGO for free, it will usually disappear from your driveway within 24 hours.

Method 3: Small Engine Repair Shops

Local mower repair shops often use older units for parts or as practice machines for new mechanics. Call the independent shops in your area and ask if they take non-working trade-ins or donations.

While big-box stores will not take your old mower, the small, family-owned shop down the street almost always needs a spare carburetor or a set of axles.

Method 4: Municipal Bulky Waste Pickup

If you cannot transport the mower yourself, your city’s sanitation department is your best resource. Many municipalities offer bulky waste pickup days once a month or allow you to schedule a special pickup online.

You must call ahead to verify their rules. Almost all city waste services require the oil and gas to be completely removed before they will throw the machine into the back of a garbage truck. If they find liquid in the tank, they will tag it and leave it on your curb.

Method 5: Retailer Trade-in Programs

Occasionally, hardware stores and outdoor power equipment dealers run spring trade-in events. They encourage you to bring in your old, polluting gas mower and offer you a discount on a brand-new battery-powered electric mower. Keep an eye on local flyers around March and April, as this is a great way to handle disposal and get a discount on an upgrade simultaneously.

Comparing Disposal Methods

Not all methods require the same amount of effort. Here is how they stack up against each other so you can choose the best route for your schedule.

I usually prefer listing broken mowers for free online. It requires zero driving on my part, and I know the machine is helping someone fix their own equipment rather than just sitting in a landfill.

Common Mistakes at Each Step

Disposing of outdoor equipment involves dealing with stringent environmental regulations. People often take shortcuts that end up costing them time or resulting in fines.

Avoiding these errors keeps you legally compliant and ensures the recycling facilities will actually process your machine. Never assume a scrap yard will look the other way if your mower is leaking.

💡 Pro Tip: If you want the highest payout at the scrap yard, use a socket wrench to unbolt the engine block from the mower deck. The deck is made of steel (cheaper scrap), but the engine block is usually cast aluminum (higher-paying scrap). Separating them gets you a better price per pound.

My Experience Doing This

The first time I tried to scrap an old gas mower, I completely failed to prepare. I had a rusted-out Briggs & Stratton push mower that had been sitting behind my shed for three years. I loaded it into my trunk, drove 30 minutes to the scrap yard, and the inspector immediately pointed to a tiny puddle of oil forming under the deck. He told me to turn around, take it home, and drain it. I wasted an entire Saturday morning because I skipped the most important step.

Years later, when my first-generation EGO battery mower finally died, the process was completely different. The mower deck was mostly thick plastic, which scrap yards do not want. I removed the dead lithium-ion battery, took it to a Call2Recycle bin at my local hardware store, and broke the plastic deck down with a reciprocating saw to fit it into my standard recycling bin. The electric motor went to the scrap yard. It was a completely different experience that highlighted how mower technology dictates disposal methods.

Time and Cost Breakdown

People often wonder if they have to pay to get rid of an old mower. In most cases, you can do it for free or even make a small profit, provided you are willing to do a little manual labor.

If you value your time highly, pushing it to the curb for a scheduled city pickup or giving it away online makes the most sense.

Selling Individual Parts for Profit

If you have a bit of mechanical skill and a socket set, stripping a mower down before tossing the frame is highly lucrative. Mower engines rarely fail; usually, the deck rusts out or the self-propelled transmission breaks.

Here is what you should pull off the mower before throwing the metal frame away.

I always keep the wheels from my dead push mowers. They fit perfectly on garden carts and wheelbarrows, saving me from having to buy replacements later.

🌱 Beginner Note: If you are nervous about taking a mower apart, simply focus on the grass bag. Grass bags tear easily in the yard, so replacement bags are always in extremely high demand online. You can sell an intact bag in minutes with zero tools required.

Environmental Impact of Proper Disposal

A single lawn mower contains enough hazardous material to contaminate hundreds of gallons of groundwater if left to rot in a field or landfill. Doing this right is a genuine responsibility.

Taking old oil to an auto parts store like AutoZone or Advance Auto Parts is entirely free. They have large tanks in the back specifically for this purpose. Just hand the clerk your sealed catch jug.

When to Hire a Junk Removal Professional Instead

Sometimes, you just want the problem gone immediately. If you have an enormous, heavy riding lawn mower sitting dead in your backyard with flat tires, you probably cannot push it onto a trailer yourself.

In this case, hiring a junk removal service is the best option. Companies will come onto your property, winch the dead mower onto their truck, and haul it away. They handle all the fluid drainage and recycling protocols at their own facilities.

Expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $150 for this service, depending on the size of the mower. It is not cheap, but it saves your back and your weekend.

🔧 Quick Fix: If your mower tires are flat and you cannot roll it to the curb for pickup, slide an old piece of cardboard or a cheap plastic snow sled under the rear wheels. You can easily drag the mower across the grass and driveway without ruining your lawn.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I throw a lawn mower in a dumpster?

No. Most waste management companies strictly forbid motorized equipment in dumpsters due to the risk of oil spills, gasoline fires, and heavy metal contamination. If they find it, they will fine you and refuse to empty the dumpster.

Will a scrap yard take a mower with gas still in it?

Absolutely not. Scrap yards use massive shredders and blowtorches to process metal. A gas tank with fuel in it is essentially a bomb waiting to go off in their machinery. You must drain it completely.

What do I do with a plastic electric mower?

Because the deck is plastic, scrap yards won’t pay for it. Remove the battery for electronics recycling, pull out the electric motor to scrap for copper wiring, and cut the plastic deck into pieces to fit in your municipal recycling bin.

Does Home Depot recycle lawn mowers?

Home Depot does not accept whole lawn mowers for recycling. However, they do have bins near the front entrance where you can recycle the lithium-ion batteries from cordless electric mowers.

How do I get rid of stale gasoline from my mower?

Pour the old gas into an approved, sealed gas can. Search for your county’s “Household Hazardous Waste Facility” or wait for a community hazardous waste collection day. They will take the old fuel and process it safely.

Final Thoughts

Retiring an old lawn mower requires a little bit of grease and patience, but it is a straightforward process once you know the rules. Whether you are tearing down an old gas engine for scrap metal or finding a new home for a dead electric model, the most critical step is always neutralizing the power source first. Drain the oil, siphon the gas, or pull the battery. Once that is done, you are left with a simple hunk of metal and plastic that is surprisingly easy to recycle, donate, or sell.

By handling your equipment responsibly, you keep toxic chemicals out of the soil and give old metal a chance to be repurposed into something new.

Learn exactly how to dispose of an old lawn mower safely. Discover the best ways to recycle, scrap, or donate your equipment. Find out more.