In my city we have these big clothing donation bins in the corner of the parking lot at most major strip malls: Example: https://patch.com/img/cdn/users/82019/2013/06/raw/d5b3360843...

With scrap batteries being worth 5-50 cents per pound it would be worth just sticking a handful of these, but labeled as "used battery drop off point" in high visibility areas. It won't stop people from maliciously throwing away batteries but would remove the lazy factor.

I hate to break it to you, but "clothing and shoe donation" bins in mall parking lots are generally commercial enterprises, rather than non-profits or charities, and I suppose people get good feels from dropping off there while they're shopping, but the community would be better served if you gave direct to a charity such as St. Vincent de Paul Society Thrift Stores.

As for scrap batteries being tossed into a bin at a mall, I'm not seeing that end well. It is more or less trivial to look up recycle facilities in your area and take stuff to the appropriate drop-off. Personally, I take eWaste into Best Buy or Staples, and my own city government runs a large recycling center that will take almost anything.

https://earth911.com/

That website lists at least two locations near me that no longer exist, and the entries show they were last updated over 12 years ago.

> It is more or less trivial to look up recycle facilities in your area and take stuff to the appropriate drop-off.

It’s far from trivial if you don’t own a car, which is probably part of the problem in NYC.

I go to Best Buy or Ikea

Best Buy may not take them if the battery is visibly damaged. I tried to dispose of a laptop with swelled battery and was refused.

In my case, both are the same distance, but you're right their hours are better!

same. my local drop off is one day a month at the local prison which is ~25 minutes away. and commercial store that takes items for recycling is twice that distance.

Wow i'm curious why prison?

Slave labor, most likely.

I assume because it's "next door" to the landfill, so a lot of the logistics is already nearby. It also doesnt interfere with a bunch of civilians showing up and getting in the way of large, commercial trucks and regular landfill traffic.