Recharging your batteries, rethinking your resources...

Confession: I didn't know you weren't supposed to throw batteries in the trash until a year and a half ago when I began my ongoing quest of becoming an environmentalist. Batteries are considered to be hazardous waste, and I've thrown them on landfills all my life!

So yesterday, when I had to go shopping for a kid's birthday present, I decided to find a toy that doesn't require batteries. Well, good luck with that one! I think it is safe to say that 95% of the toys in the store require not one but multiple batteries.

On my way home from the store I began to wonder of how many people know about this and how many of the ones who know actually save their old batteries to dispose of them properly?

I wish toy manufacturers would use their creativity and resources to help reduce battery consumption. I wish people would buy rechargeable batteries instead of regular batteries. And I wish that waste-management companies did a better job of educating their customers as well as providing more locations where people could dispose of this type of waste. Perhaps the stores could go the extra mile and accept their customers' used batteries? I know that Ikea does, but not many people live near one. ~ J.S.