That remote control or game controller must be sending a low battery signal this very moment. We have been through the stress of having our wireless mouse fail right before a deadline. Tossing away those depleted batteries is the worst possible thing we can do to Mother Earth. They contain highly toxic elements such as mercury and lead that will inevitably pollute the soil. You have to recycle these batteries in proper places, yet it is easier than it sounds.
To begin with, one can go to any hardware store that is popular among you. Such stores as Best Buy have a special spot designated for recycling in their building. Home Depot and Lowe’s are also a good place to recycle batteries, they recycle both alkaline and rechargeable batteries. It is kind of a free service that lets one feel a citizen of good faith.
If you wish to get slightly more sophisticated about this, you can always make use of Earth911 search engine online. All you have to do is type in “batteries” and your zip code to receive a map of recycling locations nearby. Another good source of information would be Call2Recycle website, it is specialized in lithium-ion rechargeables. They would provide one with detailed information on the kinds of batteries accepted by each place. One would not want to make a trip to a random store only to be rejected there.
Municipal hazardous waste facilities are a big shot when it comes to battery disposal. One can find all the necessary information regarding the times of dropping off on the city or county website. This is where one should take all those weird button cell batteries that go into watches and hearing aids. They dispose of hazardous materials rejected by retailers. To be honest, it requires some effort to make a trip there, yet it helps prevent toxics from ending up in the landfill. 🌍
A little pro tip for you: put some electrical tape on the terminals of your lithium-ion battery before placing them into a bag. This will prevent a possible short circuit and fire in your backpack. Batteries need to be placed into a plastic container or a zip lock bag until one drops them off at a recycling center. One should never just leave batteries lying in a metal coffee can. This may cause an unexpected sparkle show.
It is needless to say that you might consider this task too troublesome. Yet one only needs to think of how we might contaminate underground water sources for future generations. Five minutes of work will help one avoid it. And one gets to be better than everyone else at the recycling center.