Battery, Battery, Battery, Battery

No word on whether the guys on the subway qualify as such a retailer:

Starting tomorrow, consumers must take their used rechargeable batteries — such as those that power laptop computers, cellphones and digital cameras — to retailers who sell them.

The batteries will go back to manufacturers for recycling.

The goal is to keep toxic metals like cadmium, lead and mercury out of landfills.

“Every one of these rechargeable batteries is a latent poison pill when thrown into a landfill,” said City Council member Michael McMahon (D-S.I.), chairman of the Sanitation Committee.

Conventional, nonrechargeable batteries are not affected by the law because “they are devoid of any of the toxic heavy metals that are still found in rechargeable batteries,” McMahon said.

The law requires people to take their used rechargeable batteries to any retailer who sells that type of battery. Individuals can be fined $50 for the first violation — and $200 for three or more.

The city Sanitation Department “will not go through garbage or recycling containers” to find violators. “You have to be caught in the act,” said department spokeswoman Kathy Dawkins.