The wine barrel that sits prominently next to the front doors at the Albany Habitat for Humanity's Restore urge visitors to "put a cork in it." And maybe a battery or a gallon of paint while you're at it.

The Restore at 1225 Sixth Ave. S.E. in Albany has implemented an aggressive recycling program that includes items that are not too easy to recycle. Corks and batteries have been coming in at a surprising rate.

"It's amazing how quickly our barrel fills up," said Bill Clotere, an advisory board member who was instrumental in getting the program started.

Spring Hill Winery donated an oak wine barrel to collect the corks, which are then used to make flooring and wall paneling.

"The store is all about reusing material," Clotere said.

As the corks inch their way to the top of the barrel, Clotere and others who organized the recycling effort are even more excited about a couple of the store's other recycling projects.

One is batteries.

The store is accepting size AAA through D as well as watch, camera and hearing aid batteries.

"We don't take vehicle batteries, but if they get dropped off we'll take them to the Battery X-Change," said Brenda Bradford, one of the store's managers.

Restore also recycles latex paint, a project headed by board member Scott Schuler. He says the paint is stored in a big vat - called a tote - donated by Golden West Homes that holds up to 260 gallons. A donated mixer helps the store produce high-quality paints to use as base paint, primer or for touch-up work.

Oil-based paints are not accepted.

"Before this you had to go to Salem to recycle paint," Schuler said.

Some of the recycled paint might be used on Habitat projects, but Schuler said most of it will be sold. Last year the store made $10,000 on the paint sales.

He is working with Allied Waste to collect the paint from its yearly roundup and hopes to become part of the state's paint recycling program.

Michael Kinney, another board member, said all the recycling opens the door for additional grant opportunities for Habitat. And the environmental benefits are a bonus. A sign inside the store shows that it has saved 882,627 tons of material from landfills.

The Restore also recycles ink cartridges, cell phones and cans. Items are accepted Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.