How to dispose of old batteries and broken vacuum cleaner?

I'm looking for an environmentally friendly way to dispose of old batteries (like AA, AAA, etc.) and a broken vacuum cleaner we have. We don't want to just throw them away. Suggestions?

I wonder if you might try to freecycle the vacuum cleaner? Maybe someone could fix it or use it for parts.

I know the City of Plano has a web site with lots of useful information on how to dispose of things. I would check online to see if your community has something like that. They even have a message board kind of like Craig's List except it is to give stuff away for free that you want to get rid of instead of throwing it away. I used it to post when we needed to get rid of a king sized bed frame and someone came and picked it up.

Batteries can go to radio shack. :)

Batteries can also be recycled at the Interstate All-Battery Center just North of the corner of Plano Rd and 635 in NE Dallas.

I think batteries can be recycled at IKEA too.