Not recycling? Now’s the time to start

Just do it. You'll feel better.

Unlike paper and plastic, electronics aren’t so easy to dispose of. They often contain toxic substances and can be large and heavy...

[...] Thankfully, some manufacturers and retailers such as Sears, Lowe’s, Target and Circuit City have begun their own recycling initiatives or worked through Call2Recycle, a national collection and recycling program run by the nonprofit Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. (RBRC).

The RBRC can help you recycle your used portable rechargeable batteries and old cell phones. Rechargeable batteries are commonly found in cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, digital cameras, and remote control toys. RBRC recycles the following battery chemistries: Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion) and Small Sealed Lead (Pb). RBRC is dedicated to keeping rechargeable batteries and cell phones out of our nation’s solid waste stream and preserving natural resources. Check out the RBRC web site to see what you can do.

Meanwhile, some of us in the U.S. need to get on the ball. While three-quarters (77 percent) of American adults recycle something in their own home, one-quarter (23 percent) still recycle nothing at all, according to a new Harris Interactive study. One may think that the younger generation is the one most likely to recycle, but this isn’t the case. Three in ten (30 percent) Echo Boomers (those aged 18 to 30) recycle nothing, compared to 19 percent of Matures (those aged 62 and older), the report adds.

There is also a regional difference in who recycles and who does not. Those in the East and West are more likely to recycle (88 percent and 86 percent respectively). One-third (32 percent) of those in the South as well as three in ten (30 percent) of those in the Midwest, however, say they recycle nothing.

Not recycling? Now’s the time to start