No, I’m not going to tell you that you can repurpose old batteries. I’m sure that would be dangerous. But, as it turns out, you can’t even recycle standard alkaline batteries (unless you live in California). Which begs the question: what do you do with old batteries?
After much research, all advice points to this: throw ‘em in the trash. Yikes! But what about all the toxic chemicals that will be leaching into the landfills (the Earth’s soil, hello!)? Well, I don’t have an answer for that, but I do have an alternative suggestion.
Rechargeable batteries can be recycled. And now you might be thinking, “But the’re rechargeable, why would I need to recycle them?” Because rechargeable batteries do have a limited life span. But, of course, they still last way longer than the alkaline types. And here’s the best part: rechargeable batteries save you money! How could you go wrong with something that’s recyclable and frugal?
Want some info to help you make an informed rechargeable battery purchase? Check this out.
Most cities’ waste management departments have a place and time where you can drop off your hazardous waste, so just call your city hall or city dump for the information. Our small city accepts drop-offs at the hazardous waste depot several times a month, on rotating Wednesdays and Saturdays. It’s where we bring our old batteries, paint, burnt out CFL bulbs, oil, etc.
SkylarKD
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Visit http://www.call2recycle.org to find convenient neighborhood locations to drop off old rechargeable batteries for recycling. They are retailers that have replacement rechargeable batteries and cordless electronics. (RadioShack, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Sears, Office Depot, Staples)
In addition to rechargeable batteries that replace disposable alkaline (AA, AAA) consider all the other cordless electronics that are powered only by rechargeable batteies: laptops, cell phones, camcorders, digital cameras, power tools, cordless vacuums, electric toothbrushes, electric razors, mp3 players, two-way radios… just to name a few. All these cordless electronics that many of us have and use on a regular basis contain a rechargeable battery that can be recycled through Call2Recycle.
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Thanks for the info… I’ll have to double check with my city.
as the mechanism is falwless! It does the cleaning perfectly with less effort manually.