Here is a bag of recycle cells snagged from store recycle box at the exit. Staff were asked and didn't mind.
Of the total weight 1.36kg, very weak or dead cells weighed 0.34kg (25%). Four premium Duracell D cells (0.54kg, 40%) were sitting at 1.51v OC, barely used. Remaining 0.48kg (35%) ranged from marginally-useful (to me) to barely-used AA, AAA, Zinc-Carbon and 9v.
Dave
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Good for you!
We live in a throwaway society. It is amazing. Some people throw away even perfectly good leftover food, that they could save for another meal, but I guess they are too lazy. Evidently, and lucky for you, there are some people that don't want to be bothered with checking the state of charge of their batteries, and simply chuck them in the recycle bin. The waste is shameful.
My parents both grew up during the Great Depression, on farms in rural Kansas. They learned the value of things, and their families saved everything that could be recycled into something else, and they got pretty good at that. They didn't need recycling centers, their scrap piles and barns worked for that. Sad we have so many city dwellers with no room for scrap, and no imagination or ability how to recycle their trash into useful things. Of course, I'm painting urbanites with a really broad brush, I'm sure some are clever critters, and reuse their trash items wisely.
I grew up in the 60s and 70s when the environmental movement was kicking into high gear, and littering and pollution was being targeted. Who can forget the PSA with Iron Eyes Cody crying over the littering?
I just don't see the effort these days, that I saw back then, but maybe it is there, I just don't see it. Seems to me like folks care less these days than we did back then.