• andrewta@lemmy.world
    3·
    11 months ago

    Not sure if you are willing to share your state but I live in Minnesota and we can get rid of them for free here. My county has a free spot where we can drop off old paint and other chemicals and CFL bulbs for free. Also there is another six spots listed on their website where I can drop CFL bulbs. With the exception of one place it’s all free. The one place I’m not sure if they charge a fee as I’ve never been there and they aren’t open right now. But on a guess I’d say they are also free.

    Again I’m curious which state you live in.

    • hamburglar26@wilbo.tech
      3·
      11 months ago

      My apartment complex has a battery recycling center at least. Best Buy near me had a bunch of bins for various electronics so at least some areas in the US have convenient places for it.

      Now do they actually recycle them vs toss them in the dump? No clue lol

    • Chobbes@lemmy.world
      2·
      11 months ago

      I’m originally from Canada. This might be something that’s gotten better, at least for batteries and CFLs, but I think large electronics like TVs are still supposed to be taken to the eco centre with a fee. I could just be misinformed though.

        • Chobbes@lemmy.world
          2·
          11 months ago

          Oh, cool. I don’t shop at Best Buy or Home Depot or Lowes because they’re all out of the way and I don’t drive, so I don’t really know about these stores. That’s good to know, though.

            • Chobbes@lemmy.world
              1·
              11 months ago

              Yeah! I still wish we had these returns at grocery stores. I’m sure some do it, but I don’t think the ones near me do :(.

              • andrewta@lemmy.world
                2·
                11 months ago

                Honest question : why would anyone need or want to drop off electronics, paint, light bulbs, or batteries at a grocery store? Why not drop it off at an appropriate type place? Example the hardware store will take light bulbs.

                • Chobbes@lemmy.world
                  1·
                  11 months ago

                  Oh, plenty of grocery stores sell these things, so it would be nice to be able to return them at the same place. This matters especially for people who don’t drive because the dedicated place may be difficult to get to by transit, but it also might just be out of the way for most people which means they’re kind of encouraged to be lazy and just throw it out in the regular trash.