I admit it, I’m an evil, evil man. Or maybe just kinda evil. I’ve long been a proponent of using rechargeable batteries. And as you can see from the poll on the right side of this site, for most travelers, that’s most often what’s packed. But I fall short of carrying the idea through to the end.
I started purchasing rechargeable batteries
And yet, when one of those batteries finally bites the big one and won’t take a charge, I chuck it. That’s right, eco-conscious me, just throws another chunk of metal into the landfill. I’m lazy. And I never knew where to recycle the buggers. Until now!
Thanks to the handy site Call2Recycle.com (which obviously got its start with telephone calls) has an easy to use zip code search feature smack dab on their homepage. I found a site within 5 miles of my home that will take all manner of rechargeable batteries. From cell phone to camera to power tool batteries, you can bring them all in for free recycling as long as it’s a Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), Nickel Zinc (Ni-Zn), and Small Sealed Lead* (Pb) type of battery (95% of the time, it will be). Items are sent back to Pennsylvania where all the materials are either turned into new batteries or the scrap metal is reclaimed. I know, I’d rather not ship my stuff all the way across the country, but alas, it’s better than in a landfill by the Columbia River.
They also take old cell phones. The site is nice and complete with a good FAQ and press kit for those interested. Check them out before you throw away your next rechargeable battery!
Peter, Thanks for the plug about free rechargeable battery and cell phone recycling. You’ll be glad to know that all of the recycling process is done in North America. It’s a wasteless process where nothing goes into the landfills. Everything is melted down and reusable metals extracted to make new things like stainless steel and new batteries. Even the stuff leftover after the process, called “slag”, is used for road aggragate. Pretty cool, huh?
While the .com in the URL will work too and get to the web page, the program is actually a nonprofit and promotes the .org address. Its a product stewardship program funded by the guys who make those rechargeable batteries and cordless electronics powered by them.
In 2004 when the program expanded to include cell phone recycling, it created the program name Call2Recycle as a play on words, user friendlier than RBRC, and because it was a call to action. Did you know that the average user upgrades their cell phones every 18-24 months (with the battery still in it)?
Happy travels and thanks for recycling.