The waste/recycling service where I live advises that we can put old batteries in a ziploc baggie on top of our recycling bin, which is picked up weekly. The t

The waste/recycling service where I live advises that we can put old batteries in a ziploc baggie on top of our recycling bin, which is picked up weekly. The three bins we have (landfill, organics/compost, and recycling) are picked up via a truck with a grabber arm, so that the driver never has to leave the driver's seat. The last time I left some out, I could swear I saw the driver just pick up the recycle bin with the baggie of batteries on top and dump it in with all the rest of the recycling (so why put the baggie on top?). For the 2-3 times a year I do this, it would only take about 30 seconds to hop out and grab the baggie by hand to store it separately. Maybe they sort it out at the recycling facility, but I've also been told that almost all our recycling ends up in the landfill anyway.