In Australia: what to do with old batteries (AA, AAA, and 6V)?

Question

it is OK to put them into the ordinary rubbish or is there some way to recycle them. or to get them stripped of dangerous acids?

ps I know about recharging batteries but these are the non rechargable ones

Answer 1

You can actually recharge these types of batteries, but you can't use a standard recharger, the voltage is too high and the battery can't absorb the charge at that speed.  Go to iHack.com (iHacked.com if the other doesn't work) and you'll find a detailed schematic with instructions on how to build a recharger that will work with these types of batteries.  Pretty handy if you're good with a soldering iron.  Hope that helps...