Now that The Wilsons have taken a more active approach to recycling I have begun paying more attention to the myriad wasteful activities in our lives. No, I haven't turned into an eco-nerd just yet, and Al Gore isn't likely to show up my door with a biodegradeable certificate of appreciation any time soon. But I do ponder certain things more frequently than I used to.
For example: Why is it so difficult to get rid of used batteries? The toxic brew inside of each AA is surely something best kept out of landfills. Yet considering how easy it is to purchase batteries, it is surprisingly difficult to find a place other than your friendly local garbage can to discard the things.
Where are the best places to discard used batteries in Lincoln? Are there any local outlets -- grocery stores, say -- that make an active effort to collect old batteries?
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See what your friends and neighbors have to say about this.
Great point and great questions. I think the same is true for lightbulbs, but it seems to me that Home Depot or someone takes them, but I don’t recall who.
I’m pretty sure Home Depot takes CFL bulbs, and I think they take some other things too, but I haven’t been there in awhile.
A quick online search reveals that Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Target will all take rechargeable batteries, but as for regular alkaline batteries, I’m not finding anything.
According to this site, regular alkaline batteries are considered a non-hazardous material and can be safely discarded: http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php
Some more Googling, and I came across two sites that will ship you a box that you can collect various batteries in and then ship them back for recycling. They’re not free, and maybe even a bit expensive, but if you want to recycle batteries, this is about the only option at this point.
http://www.batteryrecycling.com/Products/195/385/iRecycle+Kits/iRecycle+Kit+12
Or
http://www.biggreenbox.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=1
To recycle car, button, or rechargable batteries, see page 6 of Lincoln’s recycling guide.
And this handy gadget will recharge normal alkaline batteries. I’ve never tried it, but if it works, that is sweet.
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