Trash talk: How to properly dispose of hard-to-recycle items

Here's what to do with those hard-to-recycle items like electronics, batteries and light bulbs.

Stop and think before you throw those old electronics, batteries and light bulbs in the trash. Recycling is a better option. (Plus, it's illegal to leave them on the curb in some states.)

Most electronic waste and batteries contain toxic heavy metals that can seep into soil and water. Recycling these products not only keeps heavy metals out of the soil and water, but also helps reuse materials that require energy to mine and manufacture.

In general, you can recycle old electronics, batteries and light bulbs at hazardous waste facilities, county recycling centers or community hazardous waste collections. See below for more specific guidelines for each item.

How can I dispose of electronics?

Make sure to erase any personal data. If the electronics work, consider donating them. If they aren't reusable, search for a certified recycling location in your area. The results may include:

• Electronics retailers with take-back or trade-in programs
• TV or electronics repair shops
• Electronics recycling companies
• Manufacturer recycling programs
• Charitable organizations

Where do I dispose of batteries?

Recycle any rechargeable, lithium, lithium ion and zinc air batteries instead of tossing them. Here's how to dispose of batteries:

• Take them to an electronics retailer
• Use one of the 34,000 Call2Recycle battery drop-off locations
• Purchase a mail-in recycling collection kit, such as the iRecycle Kit from Battery Solutions

Can light bulbs be recycled?

Compact fluorescent lamps contain small amounts of mercury, so handle them with care — especially any broken bulbs. You should be able to recycle mercury-containing bulbs through local hardware retailers, utility-run collection programs or by using mail-back services.

Power talk: How to start a battery recharging station at your work.

With proper workplace charging implementation, employers can help increase the convenience and affordability of driving electric for their employees. Workplace charging can demonstrate leadership in adopting advanced technologies.

Employers and workers can find resources on planning, organizing, and executing successful and educational workplace charging events in the Clean Cities Workplace Charging Toolkit.

From 2013 to 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Workplace Charging Challenge partnered with organizations that committed to provide plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging stations to their employees. Many of the best practices, lessons learned, tools, and templates available here are based on the accomplishments of Challenge partners.

This station is perfect for holding all of your cordless tool battery chargers. What sets it apart from a simple shelf is the concealed chase for routing and hiding the power cords for a nice clean look. This is a very simple project made from just a quarter sheet of plywood and a few screws.

http://unkool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/diy_charger_station.jpg My blog :) I just finished organizing all my chargers in a box. It's pretty an easy DIY project, took me like 20 min max to drills all the holes.