davis_square | (no subject)

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recycling

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Hey Davis Squares,
Is there a local place, perhaps a business, that collects batteries to recylcle?
Sure, we can schlep our collection to Best Buy the next time we go but it would be mighty convenient to have such a place within walking distance.

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Small amounts of e-waste such as batteries can be dropped off at Greenward on Mass Ave between Porter and Harvard. There is also battery recycling at the Whole Foods on route 16 in Medford (for some reason, not at the Alewife Whole Foods, if I recall correctly.)

The Whole Foods in central does, so I imagine the one in Alewife does as well.

nope, i tried one time to drop it off, and they wouldn't take them. but then when i stopped by the rt 16 whole foods, i saw a bin.

who knows why

They have a bin at the Alewife store as of last week. I don't remember seeing it there before then.

Tags in Porter Square

The Somerville Environmental Guide seems to say that only rechargeable and car batteries are worth recycling (on hazardous waste collection days). Not true?

For some reason I got into my head that those little lithium button batteries (like from a watch or calculator) should be treated as hazardous waste. Anyone have a guess where I got that idea?

Er, this was meant as "please help me figure this out", not a trick question. Sorry.

The Cambridge DPW takes them on Hazardous Waste Days.

Oops, I forgot that I had already said that.

I, too, have read it is not necessary to recycle alkaline batteries made within the past 20 years.

The Cambridge DPW (http://www.cambridgema.gov/TheWorks/departments/recycle/donaterecycle.html#batteries) says you can throw away alkaline batteries made since 1994. They accept various kinds of batteries including the little lithium ones at the Recycling Center and on Household Hazardous Waste days. Neither of which are convenient to Davis Square, especially for Somervillians, I admit. But it suggests that you shouldn't put them in the trash.

in germany, you recycle all batteries. so even though i have no evidence to support why it's a good idea, i feel like i should anyway. (i lived in germany for 4 years)

Worn out rechargeable batteries can be brought to Tags (the downstairs key counter last I checked) or any Radio Shack.

http://www.rbrc.org/consumer/ lets you check by zip code.

Tufts recycles batteries, cell phones and printer cartridges. You can find bins in their campus center and library.

But you'd be better off taking your printer cartridges to Staples. Each one you recycle there eventually results in Staples sending you a $3 coupon.

They now once again accept all brands. (For a while, they didn't take Epson.)

Edited 2009-05-04 22:57 (UTC)

On that note, might be worth checking out Cartridge World, just outside Porter Square - they refill cartridges of pretty much any variety, as far as I know, give you a discount right away for bringing in a cartridge, and tend to be better priced than Staples, etc. anyhow.

The City of Somerville's Hazardous Waste Day is the second Sat of each month, 9-12 at the DPW on Franey Rd. That means this Saturday May 9. They accept car and rechargeable batteries. For more details go to the City's website site click "trash disposal", the "Hazardous Waste Days."

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