Interstate All Battery Center

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impossibly-hard-to-dispose-of computer batteries.

So what exactly does a third-generation battery guy do? "We do custom rebuilds on old tool batteries," for starters.

And what's up with those lithium ion batteries? Why are they suddenly all over the place? "Lithium ion batteries aren't new, but they're expensive to make, so they haven't put alkalines out of the market." In addition to the cost, there is a downside to these long-lasting batteries: "You have to recycle them," he says firmly.

Surprisingly, for those who remember old proscriptions regarding their disposal, today's "alkaline batteries are fairly green in the sense that they're biodegradable and landfill safe. We do recycle the alkaline batteries--we send them out to different smelters. That way, the metals get reused." But if you have limited patience for recycling, you can toss them in the trash.

Interstate All Battery Center, 2222 S. Main (Woodland Plaza), 222-4055. Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-6 p.m., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. Closed Sun. interstatebatteries.com   

[Originally published in January, 2013.]