[philote]

I'm from NC as well, and moved from a major city to a rural area. For me, both have similar disposal options. In the city, you had to go to a trash drop-off center to dispose of batteries (same place you'd take used oil or other hazardous waste, as well as regular trash or even yard debris). I think the difference is, in the city you have trash pickup and can't just toss batteries in with the trash or recycle. Whereas out in the country you have to take everything to a drop-off center, so you're probably more likely to dispose of batteries properly since you don't need to take an extra trip to do so.