What are you going to do with all these batteries?

Are you up to your armpits in old batteries? They do pile up, don't they -- from old cell phones, laptops, digital cameras -- the list goes on and on. Maybe you were saving them because you thought they'd "come in handy one day". Once you got over that, you had to figure out what to do with them. After all, old batteries are not exactly environmentally friendly.

Call2Recycle can help. This Web site, at http://www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/index.html , is devoted to helping you find a place to recycle your used portable rechargeable batteries and old cell phones.

Now, that's great, but it's not unusual. What's unusual is the sheer number of places you can find here. The drop-off search allows you to search by both city or zip code. I did a search for all dropoff sites within 5 miles of zip code 27605 and got over two dozen results -- you can drop off batteries and old cell phones a variety of places, including retail locations, fire departments, and cell phone companies (of course). Search results include business names, addresses, and a link to a Yahoo map if you need more detailed directions.

What happens to the old batteries you drop off? They're refurbished or recycled. Some of the cell phones are refurbished and resold; part of the money generated goes to charity. There's a FAQ on the site that gives you all the details.

There are some caveats to the program. You can't drop off non-rechargeable batteries. You can't drop off car batteries or pagers (I'm not sure why you'd want to.) And the program does warn you to erase any personal data off your old cell phone (and take out the sim card!) before taking it to recycling.

The site has more information on environmental impact, EPA alerts for batteries, and information for retailers who might want to join the program. Check it out!