The Recyclinator got mail

Hi Elaine,
I read your article, “Where should old batteries go to die?” on Oct. 13 and noticed today that an additional paragraph had been added regarding The Big Green Box. This company does ship all the “rechargeable” batteries it collects to its de-manufacturer Toxco where they are recycled just as promised. However, their “alkaline” batteries are segregated and sent to an outside zinc smelter called Teck Cominco in British Columbia, Canada. The EPA has accused this company of dumping between 15 to 20 million tons of heavy metals in the Columbia River over the last 100 years and polluting Washington State. This company is also fighting legal battles with various tribal organizations throughout British Columbia, which have accused the company of polluting Lake Roosevelt. The company did stop dumping in 1994, but has been reluctant to cooperate in remediation efforts and has refused to conduct impact studies of the effected areas.
Respectfully,
Dean Robinson Jr.
Household Hazardous Waste coordinator, NH Department of
Environmental Services

Hi,
I just read Elaine Kellerman’s article – The Recyclinator – on what you should do with old batteries. She ends the article with the comment that she’s not aware of any local businesses offering to dispose of old batteries.
Actually, both Staples and Best Buy have bins where you can recycle old batteries, as well as old cell phones.
There may be more businesses, but those are the two that immediately come to mind.
Nancy Kyle