How to Dispose of a Lawn Mower
In This Guide
Getting rid of an old mower is not as simple as wheeling it to the kerb, and in most places doing exactly that is against the rules. A mower holds fuel, oil, and sometimes a battery, and it is built largely from metal that is genuinely worth recycling. Knowing how to dispose of a lawn mower properly takes about half an hour, keeps you on the right side of local regulations, and quite often puts a few dollars back in your hand.
First, Is It Actually Finished?
Before anything else, be honest about whether the mower is truly dead. A machine that will not start is usually suffering from a carburetor blocked with varnish from old fuel, and that is a cleaning job rather than a funeral. It is a genuinely common mistake to scrap a perfectly healthy mower over a fault that costs very little to fix.
Step 1: Drain the Fuel
1. Siphon the tank
Use a siphon pump to empty the fuel tank into an approved fuel container. Do this outdoors, away from any ignition source.
2. Empty the carburetor bowl
Loosen the bowl drain screw to release the fuel still sitting in the carburetor.
3. Or run it dry
Alternatively, start the engine and let it run until it stalls from lack of fuel, then drain the bowl.
Step 2: Drain the Oil
Warm the engine briefly so the oil flows, then drain it into a container through the drain plug or by tipping the mower with the air filter side up. Used motor oil is also hazardous waste and must never go in the trash or down a drain.
The good news is that most auto parts stores accept used motor oil free of charge, and many will take the old oil filter too.
Step 3: Remove the Battery, If There Is One
Riding mowers have a lead acid battery and battery powered mowers have a lithium pack. Neither belongs in household trash. Lead acid batteries are widely accepted at auto parts stores, often for a small credit, and lithium packs go to a battery recycling point rather than the bin.
Step 4: Choose Where It Goes
| Option | Best when |
|---|---|
| Scrap metal recycler | The mower is genuinely dead. They usually take it and may pay by weight. |
| Municipal bulk or scrap pickup | Your area offers it, and the fluids are already drained. |
| Sell it | It runs, or the fault is minor and you say so honestly. |
| Donate it | It runs. Community groups and repair charities often want working machines. |
| Retailer trade-in | Some dealers take an old machine against a new one. Worth asking. |
What Not to Do
Is It Worth Anything?
A mower is mostly steel, aluminium, and a little copper, so scrap yards will generally accept one. The return is modest and depends on current scrap prices and the machine's weight, so a riding mower is worth more than a push mower simply because there is far more metal in it.
If it still runs, though, it is worth considerably more to someone who wants a working mower than it is as scrap. Selling or donating a functioning machine almost always beats weighing it in.
Rather Have a Real Technician Handle It?
A Wildwood technician comes to your driveway, diagnoses the problem, and fixes it on the spot, usually in about an hour. More than 10,000 repairs completed since 2019, with flat rates quoted before we arrive so there are no surprises.