Why can't she just throw them out along with her trash? There are lots of different kinds of batteries, but to put it simply, they all contain some sort of heavy metal. It's those heavy metals, like mercury, nickel cadmium, lead acid and alkaline that can damage the environment.

Typical single use batteries are often called alkaline batteries. They used to have a lot of mercury in them, but for the past 20 years or so, the amount of mercury has been reduced. In some cases, it's decreased by 97%, which might mean that they are no longer on the list of batteries that are banned from landfills. But it's best to check with local recycling and waste disposal facilities to be sure.

Girlawhirl thought that by switching to rechargeable batteries she'd be helping the environment, and just by virtue of re-charging and re-using them, she is. But these batteries, often called NiCd batteries, (because they contain Nickel Cadmium) are classified as hazardous waste and must be recycled.

Girlawhirl's come up with a two pronged plan. First, whenever she can, she uses rechargeable batteries. When she finds she's charging them more than she's using them and they need to be replaced, she brings them to her local RadioShack.   RadioShack will recycle them for her, and since she's brought them along, she's sure to buy the right ones to replace them.

And second, for all other batteries, she keeps a little jar under her kitchen sink that she throws used batteries into, even the little round battery for her watch. When it's full, she signs on to Earth911.com and checks out the closest location and dates for battery collection in her zip code. For her, it's the 3^rd Saturday of the month. She schedules it into her errands for that morning and, voilà, she's done her good deed for the earth that day.

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Jan 19, 2006:

E-cycling. read full entry