Last time I looked at CFL recycling around here, the only options were either very far away or occasional hazardous waste roundups at places that you can drive into but not easily walk into. It bothers me how many things like that are not easy to do without a car. Yet, I bet my overall footprint is far lower because I don't drive. Lack of simple, all the way through.
Do you know people who could drive you to HHW sites or CFL recycling sites for proper disposal?
We tend to keep batteries until we have enough to take them to Grassroots (local store that, among other things, collects dead batteries to dispose of them properly).
Brain seems to be on hiatus. I meant to continue the battery line of thinking and develop it into: maybe you could set aside things that need to go to HHW for a mass disposal instead of constantly asking others to drive you around. And they could do the same.
Or, if you have things that need to go to HHW but acquire them on a ridiculously infrequent basis (which would be ideal!), then you could ditch the idea of stock piling batteries and burnt/broken CFLs, paint cans, etc. and ask helpful friend with car to drive you to the disposal site as soon as these sorts of items are acquired.
I tend not to ask people to drive me places or to take things for me that require driving, as I feel my choice not to drive is also my burden and shouldn't be the burden of my friends when avoidable. (That and, I really don't have many local friends.) For now it's not a big problem as we don't use many batteries and our CFLs will likely last quite a while, I'm hoping that by the time it becomes an issue disposal centers will be more common and accessible.
I look at it a little differently: if whomever you know locally is also in need of disposing of HHW-type goods, then adding what little you have to the bunch shouldn't be considered a burden. Also, in having a car, they are choosing to also have the responsibility of occasionally playing taxi driver to those who do not have cars. It's a two-way street, really. I do believe strongly in being independent and taking responsibility for one's choices, but community is important, too. Besides, give them something for it: you have a garden; surely some sort of trade could be arranged.
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We tend to keep batteries until we have enough to take them to Grassroots (local store that, among other things, collects dead batteries to dispose of them properly).
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Or, if you have things that need to go to HHW but acquire them on a ridiculously infrequent basis (which would be ideal!), then you could ditch the idea of stock piling batteries and burnt/broken CFLs, paint cans, etc. and ask helpful friend with car to drive you to the disposal site as soon as these sorts of items are acquired.
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