Collect
your leftover batteries
Collect all your leftover batteries. Rechargeable batteries from cell phones and laptops are especially important to recycle since they contain toxic materials that could damage the environment. Also, car batteries are always recyclable.
If you don’t know if your
battery needs to be recycled, follow this basic rule—if
it’s rechargeable, it’s recyclable.
Check
with the store
Check the store where you bought your electronics to see if they recycle. Many do.
Locate
a recycling center
If the store doesn’t recycle, find a recycling center on the nonprofit Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation’s website at rbrc.org. Type in your zip code and a list of locations appears.
You can also call 1-800-8-Battery
if you have questions about recycling rechargeable batteries.
Recycle
pre-1997 batteries
If you have other used batteries like AA, AAA, C, D and nine-volt batteries, they will need to be recycled if they were made before 1997—since they contain large amounts of mercury. One place that recycles this sort of battery is batteryrecycling.com. They charge 85 cents a pound, but isn’t the environment worth it?
Trash
regular post-1997 batteries
Your household batteries made after 1997 usually can’t be recycled. Because they no longer contain so much mercury, you can just throw them away—but perhaps you should consider using rechargeable batteries instead.
Collect
your leftover batteries
Check
with the store
Locate
a recycling center
Recycle
pre-1997 batteries
Trash
regular post-1997 batteries
