Battery recycling

I assume that you are reading my blog because you have children. And you're interested in preserving our environment so our children have a nice place to live long after we're gone. Well, with kids, come batteries. It's seem like about half the toys that are made for kids require batteries these days. So does your digital camera and your video camera.

Now, I like rechargeable batteries. I think they're a great idea. But let's face it, they really don't last as long as single use batteries, and they seem to hold less and less of a charge the longer you use them. And, it's guaranteed that you've forgotten to charge them all when your child's favorite toy runs out of juice mid-play session. So, most of us end up using those nasty disposable batteries at some point. That's all well and good, but there's one thing you should know. Do NOT throw these suckers in with your trash. They contain heavy metals that can seep into the earth, causing a toxic mess. Plus, if you can recycle it, why wouldn't you?

You can do a quick Google search for places that accept batteries for recycling in your area. Where I live, a number of local "green" stores and Radio Shacks accept them. Where my parents live, you can actually schedule a pickup and they will come to you to get your batteries! How convenient is that?!

A lot of us might be so used to throwing out old batteries that it's a difficult habit to break. Make recycling easier than throwing away. I keep an old tupperware right next to the new batteries. When I'm switching them out, I toss the dead ones into the tupperware. I don't even have to walk over to the garbage can. Recycling batteries may seem like a small thing, but when you add up small gestures across a population, it turns into something huge.