In February, community radio station RoxFM, in conjunction with the Roxby Downs Environment Forum and Planet Ark, began a collection program encouraging residents to drop off their printer cartridges and household batteries for recycling.

The battery collection and drop-off was a free service coordinated by environment forum volunteers.

Co-chairperson for the environment forum, Kristina Meredith, personally takes the collected batteries to a recycling depot in Adelaide.

Ms Meredith said due to the global financial crisis and the low price of scrap metal, recycling outlets are now charging people between $3.50 to $8.50 to drop off batteries.

“The Forum has decided to fund the program so that it can continue as a free service for locals,” she said.

Mobile phones and their accessories and all household batteries can now be dropped off for recycling at RoxFM, Roxby Downs Council office and Rodda Communications.

Printer cartridges can be left at RoxFM and in the council foyer.

Ms Meredith said the community support so far for the recycling program has been excellent.