So many of my favorite things run on batteries these days, and some of them seem to eat batteries like a starving man at an all-you-can-eat buffet! The number one way to be responsible with battery recycling is to use only devices that are most energy-efficient, and to use the batteries you have before purchasing more.

But what do you do with batteries once they are dead? First of all, be sure they ARE dead before you toss them. Invest in a simple battery tester to make sure you're not throwing good batteries away when it's actually the camera, toy, or clock that's broken.

Single-use alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, B, C, D, etc.), the kind used in smoke detectors, remote controls, cameras, toys, etc., used to be more dangerous to the environment, but legislation in 1996 to reduce mercury in the environment has made them easier to dispose of. Since then, alkaline

batteries have now seen about a 97 percent mercury reduction in the product.  In fact, many communities (but not California) allow these batteries to be disposed of with regular trash. Check your community's rules before disposing of dead batteries.

On average, each person in the U.S discards eight dry-cell batteries per year, according to the EPA, but just one inefficient device can easily double that number. To reduce waste, don't buy more batteries than you need, and look for batteries with reduced mercury and heavy metal content. 

For more information, check out Environment, Health and Safety Online.