HOUSEHOLD BATTERIES

Press Release - For Immediate Release
June 26, 2007, San Luis Obispo County
BY: Bill Worrell, IWMA

The San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA) announces the implementation of the "SLO Take Back Program" for household batteries, fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).  Nearly every retailer throughout San Luis Obispo County who sells household batteries or fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) will now take those items back from the public for free.  Consumers who want to shop green can now safely and easily recycle these products.

More than 300 local businesses are providing this free service to the public.  Participants range from national chain stores such as Costco and Kmart to local stores such as Farris Lighting.  Nearly every retailer who sells either batteries, fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) un San Luis Obispo County are participating, a few stores, such as Home Depot and Target, are not.  A complete list of businesses where you can safely recycle these items appears below. 

Participating in the "SLO Take Back Program" is free, easy and there is no limit to the number of batteries, fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) you can drop off.  Bring your household batteries, fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) to any of the participating retail stores during regular store hours.  You can either put the items in a special collection container or give them to a store employee.  This is an ongoing, free service provided to the public.  Small businesses in San Luis Obispo County can also participate but must call (805) 481-9213 to make an appointment.

The household batteries should be fully discharged.  Lithium batteries should have tape placed on the metal contacts.  Fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) should not be broken and should be carefully placed in the collection containers to prevent breakage.

Household batteries, fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) are considered hazardous because they contain mercury.  It's illegal to throw away these items in your garbage or recycling can, or to dispose of them at a landfill.  You can be confident that disposing of these items at the "SLO Take Back Program" locations will mean the items will be sent off to be properly managed which includes recovering the mercury.

The "SLO Take Back Program" is funded by a grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

June 26, 2007

S.L.O. Take Back Program Locations to Dispose of Batteries
Arroyo Grande:	Paso Robles:
7-Eleven Food Store	Albertsons - Save-On
Advanced Wireless & Cellular	AM PM Mini Mart
Albertsons - Save-On	Appy's Liquor
Arco AM/PM	Arco
Arroyo Grande Shell Station	AT&T Hightower PCS
Arroyo Grande Mobile Station	Big Creek Lumber
Bewley's Chevron	Blake's True Value Home Center
Big Boys Toys	Cellular One
Brisco's True Value Hardware	Chevron
Cingular	Cingular
Cingular TotalComm Plus	City of Paso Robles
City of Arroyo Grande	Computer Stuff
Cookie Crock Warehouse	Cuesta College Bookstore
DE Regan Audiologist	Cuesta Equipment
Dollar Tree Stores	Dollar Plus
Fair Oaks Pharmacy	Dollar Tree
JJ's Food Co.	Eagle Energy 76
JJ's Market	Exxon One Stop
JMC Wireless	Food 4 Less
KMart	Hayward Lumber
Longs Drug Stores	Heritage Ranch Community Services District
Lopez Lake Marina	Heritage Ranch Country Store
Mesa View Market	JMC Wireless
Miner's Ace Hardware	J-N-J Liquor & Food Market
Office Max	Lake Nacimiento Resort
Petro Grande Mobil Station	Longs Drug Stores
RadioShack	Miracle Ear Center
Rite Aid	Mobil
Spencer's Fresh Markets	Office Max
Valero	Pacific Cellular Page and Sound
	Paso Hearing Aid Center
	Paso Robles Recycling
Atascadero:	Paso Robles Union 76
7-Eleven Food Store	Paso Robles Waste Disposal
Albertsons - Save-On	Photo Stop
Allied Hearing	Pioneer Food Market
Atascadero Waste Alternatives	RadioShack
Chevron	Rite Aid
Cingular Total Comm. Plus	Scolari's
Circle K Food Store	Shell
City of Atascadero	Spirit & Gas Food
Decou Lumber and Ace Hardware	Staples
Dollar Max	The UPS Store
Dollar Tree	Valero
Food 4 Less	Verizon Phone & Wireless
Grisanti Hardware	Von's
Hitchin Post AM PM	Wal-Mart
JMC Wireless
KMart
Longs Drug Stores	Pismo Beach:
Miner's Ace Hardware	7-Eleven Food Store
Office Depot	Arco AM/PM
Pacific Bell Wireless	Chevron Market Plus
Palomar Creek Mini Mart	City of Pismo Beach
Perry's Parcel & Courier	Esquire News
RadioShack	JJ's Deli
Rite Aid	Longs Drug Stores
Shell Station	Mail Boxes Etc.
Spencer's Fresh Markets	North County Hearing Aid Center
Staples	Phone & Wireless
Tesoro	Pierside Galleria
The UPS Store	Pismo Beach True Value Hardware & Nursery
Von's	Pismo Market
Walgreens	Rite Aid
	San Luis Networks
	Scolari's Food Company
Avila Beach:	Spirit Gas & Food
Avila Grocery & Deli
Sycamore Mineral Springs Gift Shop
	Ragged Point:
	Ragged Point Mini Mart
California Valley:
California Valley Community Services District
Richie's	San Luis Obispo:
	7-Eleven Food Store
	Advanced Hearing Aid Center
Cambria:	Albertsons - Save-On
Ace Hardware	Arco AM/PM
All American Video	AVC Verizon Wireless
Cambria Community Services District	Bed Bath & Beyond
Cambria Drug & Gift	Best Buy
Cambria General Store	Campus Bottle
Cambria Hardware	Cellular One
Cambria Village Pharmacy	Central Coast Better Hearing
Cookie Crock Market	Chevron
Keenan's Cambria Village Pharmacy	Cingular
Old Cambria Market Place/Shell	Cingular Total Comm Plus
Soto's Market	Circuit City
	City of San Luis Obispo
	College Station Gasoline
Cayucos:	Computer Stuff
Cayucos Sanitary District	Cork N Bottle Liquor Store & Deli
Cayucos Pharmacy	Costco
Cayucos Super Market	Crossroads Deli & Pub
	Cuesta College Bookstore
	Cuesta Equipment
Creston:	CVS Pharmacy
Creston Country Store	Dollar Tree Store
	El Corral Bookstore
	Edna Valley Market/Shell
Grover Beach:	Flyers
7-Eleven Food Store	Food 4 Less
76 Food Mart	Global Wireless
Ben's Computers	Hayward Lumber
Best Care Pharmacy	Health Plus Pharmacy
Cellular One	iPod Store
Central Coast Better Hearing Aid Center	IWMA
City of Grover Beach	Jim's Campus Camera
Grand Liquor	Karen M. Scott MA
Grover Liquors	Laurel Lane Liquor
J & J Market	Lincoln Market & Deli
Market Express	Longs Drug Stores
Miner's Ace Hardware	Mac Superstore
Pocket Book Grocery	Miracle Ear Center
RadioShack	Office Max
South County Sanitary	Pacific Home & Garden
Von's	Padre Liquor & Groceries
Wireless Outlet	Quick Stop Market
	RadioShack
	Ralphs Grocery
Los Osos:	Rite Aid
Baywood Market	San Luis Garbage Co.
Cingular	Sandy's Liquor & Deli
Los Osos Phone & Wireless-Verizon	Scolari's Food Co.
Los Osos Rexall Drug Store	Sears
Los Osos Valley Liquor	Shell Station
Los Osos Valley Shell	Sidewalk Market & Deli
Medicine Shoppe	SLO Fresh Market
Miner's Ace Hardware	Smart & Final
Oasis Building Materials	Staples
RadioShack/Coast Electronics	The Photo Shop
Ralphs Grocery	The UPS Store
Rite Aid	Univer-Cell
San Luis Garbage/Mission Country Disposal	Verizon Phone & Wireless
Von's	Verizon Wireless
	Von's
Morro Bay:
Albertsons Supermarkets	San Miguel:
Allied Hearing	San Miguel Community Services District
Arco AM/PM	San Miguel Garbage Company
ASAP Reprographics
City of Morro Bay
Del Mar Market	Shandon:
Dollar Tree Store	Shandon Market
Lighthouse Liquor
Lucky 7
Medicine Shoppe	San Simeon:
MB Mobil Mart	Hearst Castle Gift Shop
Mills Stationary	San Simeon Liquor & Deli
Miner's Ace Hardware
Morro & Main
Morro Bay Chevron	Santa Margarita:
Morro Bay Mail Center	Margarita Mercantile
Morro Bay Market & Spirits	Margarita Plaza Liquor
RadioShack/Coast Electronics	Rinconda General Store
Spencer's	SML Marina & Mini Mart
Strictly PC
Sunset Liquor
Valero	Shell Beach:
Von's	Shell Beach Liquor
	Shell Beach Market
	Shell Beach Shell
Nipomo:
CVS Pharmacy
La Placita Market	Templeton:
Longs Drug Stores	A-1 Liquor
Nipomo Ace Hardware	H.E.A.R. Center
Nipomo Community Services District	Hewitt Hardware
Nipomo Marketplace	Templeton Community Services District
Nipomo Rexall Drug Store	Templeton Hills Pharmacy
Stop And Buy	Templeton Market & Deli
Von's	Templeton Spirits
	Weyrick Lumber
Oceano:
Central Market
Johnson's Market
Oceano Community Services District
Oceano Market/Valero