Wednesday, January 02, 2008

How to Recycle Batteries and Other Bad Stuff



We're so happy to hear that folks are excited about our green initiative - we hope to inspire others to take similar steps in their lives and businesses.

A few of you have emailed to ask us how to recycle batteries. Most stores that sell electronics, like Radio Shack, Walmart, and Home Depot have battery recycling receptacles. Earth 911 is a GREAT resource for finding local recycling places near you, and it's full of other tips about how to recycle.

Or, you can get your own Big Green Box and put all kinds of bad stuff in it! A smaller box is about $50, and it includes shipping and safe disposal/recycling of the heavy metal components in batteries, cell phones. etc.

Some of you may have found that it's a little harder to find recycling centers that will accept household AA batteries. This is because these batteries are now subject to regulations that require them to be safe for landfill disposal - in 1997 legislation was passed requiring the phasing out of mercury in household batteries. So a lot of recycling companies don't accept them simply because they don't contain any heavy metal that can be recycled/sold. You can read more about this topic here.