Retired teacher leads recycling movement

Even though circumstances and a lack of facilities in China mean the time may not be right to recycle used batteries, it's always a good time for Shen Yunshi, and other environmental protectors to collect them.

Every three weeks, Shen, 88, gets on his electric tricycle and makes a tour of the more-than 100 collection boxes he has placed around several communities adjacent to his apartment.

In 2000, the retired teacher from Beijing Information Science & Technology University read a report about the potential pollution hazard posed by alkaline batteries and decided to collect as many as possible to prevent them from being dumped in landfills.