What to Actually Do With a Dead GPS Tracker or Pet Camera
Quick answer: Never put a GPS tracker, camera, or any lithium-battery device in curbside trash or recycling — improperly discarded lithium-ion batteries are a documented, serious fire risk at waste and recycling facilities (448 fires in the US and Canada in 2025 alone, over $2.5 billion in damage). Instead, take a dead or replaced device to a retailer take-back kiosk (Best Buy and Home Depot both accept small electronics and batteries for free), a Call2Recycle or Battery Network drop-off point, or your local household hazardous waste facility.
Every GPS tracker and connected camera on this site runs on a lithium-ion battery, and what happens to that battery at the end of the device’s life is a real safety question, not just an environmental afterthought.
The core safety fact: never curbside trash or recycling
This is worth stating plainly and leading with, because it’s a genuine, documented risk, not an abstract sustainability talking point: lithium-ion batteries are a real, tracked cause of fires at waste and recycling facilities, where sorting equipment can crush or puncture a battery that was tossed in with regular trash or recyclables. Regulators recorded 448 such fires across the US and Canada in 2025 alone, causing more than $2.5 billion in damage — a scale of risk that makes “just throw it in the bin” a genuinely bad idea, not just a wasted recycling opportunity. This applies to a dead GPS tracker, a broken pet camera, or any other lithium-battery pet tech device you’re replacing.
Where to actually take it
Retailer take-back kiosks are the most accessible option for most people: Best Buy recycles most small consumer electronics for free at any US store location, with no appointment needed — just bring the device to the in-store recycling kiosk during business hours. Best Buy and Home Depot both also accept batteries specifically, separate from whole devices.
Battery-specific networks like Call2Recycle and similar programs maintain dedicated drop-off points built specifically to handle lithium battery disposal safely, worth using especially if you’ve already separated a battery from its device (only do this if the device is actually designed for user battery removal — see below).
Local household hazardous waste (HHW) facilities are a reliable fallback for anything the retail options above don’t accept, and most municipalities operate one.
Don’t try to pry a sealed device open yourself
For the sealed, non-user-replaceable batteries common in most current GPS trackers and cameras, attempting to open the device to extract the battery yourself risks exactly the failure mode that causes fires — puncturing or damaging a battery during a DIY extraction. Take the intact device to a take-back program built to handle this safely instead of disassembling it yourself, unless the specific product is actually designed for user-serviceable battery removal.
Recycle only what’s actually dead — trade in or sell what still works
Recycling is the right move for a genuinely broken or obsolete device with no remaining resale value — it’s not the default first step for anything you’re simply replacing with a newer model. A working device still has value: check trade-in programs (where available) or resale before assuming recycling is the only option, since keeping a functional device in use longer is a better outcome than recycling something that still works. See our refurbished and secondhand pet tech guide for the buyer’s side of that same exchange — someone else’s working trade-in might be a legitimate purchase for you.
Bottom line
A dead lithium-battery pet tech device is a real safety item to dispose of correctly, not just an e-waste inconvenience — curbside trash and recycling are both the wrong destination, given the documented fire risk. Use a retailer take-back kiosk (Best Buy is the most accessible, free, no-appointment option), a battery-specific drop-off network, or your local household hazardous waste facility, and reserve recycling specifically for devices that are actually dead rather than just being replaced.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just throw a dead GPS tracker or camera in my regular recycling bin?
No — this is a real safety issue, not just an environmental best practice. Lithium-ion batteries, found in nearly every GPS tracker and connected camera on this site, are a documented cause of fires at waste and recycling facilities when crushed or punctured by sorting equipment. Regulators tracked 448 such fires across the US and Canada in 2025, causing more than $2.5 billion in damage — curbside recycling and trash are both the wrong destination for these devices.
Where should I actually take a dead pet camera or tracker?
A few real, accessible options: Best Buy recycles most small consumer electronics for free at any US store location, no appointment needed, via an in-store kiosk. Best Buy and Home Depot both also accept batteries specifically. Call2Recycle and similar battery-specific networks have dedicated drop-off points for lithium batteries. Your local household hazardous waste (HHW) facility is another reliable option, especially for anything the retail options don't take.
Should I try to remove the battery myself before recycling a device?
Generally no, unless the device is specifically designed for user battery removal — for a sealed device (most GPS trackers and cameras), attempting to pry it open to extract the battery risks puncturing or damaging it, which is exactly the failure mode that causes fires. Take the intact device to a take-back program built to handle this safely rather than trying to separate the battery yourself.
Is trading in an old device better than recycling it?
If the device still has resale value and works, yes — a trade-in or resale keeps a functional device in use longer, which is a better outcome than recycling a working product. Recycling is the right move specifically for a genuinely dead, broken, or obsolete device that no longer has resale value, not the default first option for anything you're replacing.