GoGreen.OK.gov is an OK.gov initiative showcasing how Oklahoma eGovernment is helping to reduce the carbon footprintby reducing paper consumption and citizen travel to government facilities.

Welcome to the 6th "Green" Tips Message. This message is sent to all subscribing users on a weekly basis providing simple tips on becoming more Green! This article is part of Earth911’s “Green Eight” series, where they showcase eight ways to green your life in various areas.This week's message provides simple tips on:

8 Ways to Green Your Battery Use

1. Replace One at a Time

So your device stopped working, and it takes four AA batteries. Looks like you’ve got to buy four new batteries and dispose of four as well. Actually, only one of the batteries may be dead. If you invest in a battery-tester, you can find out which batteries have no charge left and only replace those. Some batteries even come with a tester on the cell itself. If they end up needing to be tossed, check out mail-back programs for all your battery recycling needs.

2. Embrace Heavy Metal

In most circumstances, searching for a product with less hazardous materials is more eco-friendly. In the case of batteries, hazardous ingredients increase your chances of finding recycling options. Consider:

• Car batteries contain lead and sulfuric acid and have a recycling rate around 90 percent.
• Single-use dry cell batteries have been gutted of mercury in recent years, and it’s now much more difficult to find locations that recycle them than rechargeables (which contain cadmium).

If your batteries have elements like lead, mercury or lithium, there will be more value to a recycler that can reprocess these metals. Just make sure they are kept out of the reach of children and pets in the meantime.

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