On 1513949589, buzz said..
It's expensive to recycle alkaline cells. I'd need to purchase a box, then return it to a recycle center. There is a large scale process that nets a small positive cash flow when recycling alkaline cells. Unfortunately, it can't really cover shipping costs to the processing center. In Europe the battery retailers must accept spent alkaline batteries for recycle. In the current US business/political environment, this sort of law would not be enacted.

Also, in my area, there are services similar to 1-800-Got-Junk that charge by the truckload or fraction. (warning: some crews achieve a very low packing density) They'll make just anything disappear and claim to dispose of it responsibly.