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How to recycle your used batteries

The environmental way to dispose of batteries

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In the lead up to the 2019 Federal Election, a majority of Canadians listed the environment as their top priority. Today, families across Canada are taking pride in making small changes and reducing their impact. Some steps are easier than others, though.

As batteries continue to be prevalent in our lives, a major question posed by environmentally minded consumers is what to do with used batteries?

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For answers, look to Call2Recycle Canada, the country’s premier national consumer battery collection and recycling organization. With National Battery Day around the corner on February 18, the program is encouraging Canadians to recycle more batteries than ever before as we head into a new decade.

Now, after more than 21 years of collecting used household batteries, and with the participation of consumers, business and industry, Call2Recycle has safely diverted and recycled 22 million kilograms of batteries from the solid waste stream.

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“National Battery Day is an opportunity to acknowledge the important role recycled batteries play in the sustainability of our environment,” says Joe Zenobio, President of Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. “As batteries become increasingly prevalent in our daily lives, consumers and industry alike are taking strides towards ensuring all batteries are diverted from landfills across Canada and repurposed for use in new products.”

Call2Recycle began collecting consumer batteries in Canada for recycling 1997. It quickly established itself as the consumer battery collection and recycling program for leading retailers across the country including Staples Canada, Canadian Tire, Best Buy, RONA and The Home Depot. The organization is the provincially approved consumer battery collection and recycling program in British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and Prince Edward Island and is also the official consumer battery collector for the Federal Government. Now, after more than 22 years of collecting used household batteries, and with the participation of consumers, business and industry, Call2Recycle has safely diverted and recycled 22 million kilograms of batteries from the solid waste stream.

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According to Zenobio, Canadians have a good track record on this front. Nearly 80 per cent of Canadians are aware that old batteries need to be recycled, and roughly 70 per cent are actually making the effort to recycle their batteries, he explains.

Still, there’s work to be done in this space. Consumers may question why batteries should be recycled in the first place? After all, they’re small enough to toss into a garbage bag undetected. Button batteries, like the kind found in many children’s toys, are even more inconspicuous.

The answer, Zenobio explains, lies in preventing batteries from ending up in a landfill. The latter is crucial when it comes to stopping potentially hazardous materials from harming wildlife and the environment. Recycling also helps contribute to the circular economy — an economic cycle which ensures old products are reused to create something new.

In terms of getting the most from a used battery, Call2Recycle preaches what it calls “recycling optimization.” When properly recycled, batteries yield valuable materials that can be used in the creation of a diverse range of products — everything from silverware and pots and pans to a new bicycle or set of golf clubs, for example.

“Aluminum is the most recyclable of all materials,” Zenobio says, “helping to create airplane parts, bicycles, cans, computer casings, and countless other goods. Stainless steel is also incredibly useful when properly recycled, and can be used in the construction of bridges, guard rails, household appliances, cars, and much more. Byproducts such as cadmium, lead, cobalt, and zinc are also reclaimed and used in making new rechargeable and primary batteries, creating what Call2Recycle has dubbed a “cradle to cradle” approach to recycling.”

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The organization’s take on this process is both simple and profound: your batteries have worked hard for you, so be sure to give them a chance at a second life. Appropriately, Call2Recycle’s recycling efficiency rate is roughly 83 per cent, one of the highest such rates in the world. Partnering with local, Canadian-based battery sorting and processing plants means that Call2Recycle keeps the batteries close to where they came from and supports the Canadian recycling economy.

When it comes to recycling batteries, the sooner the better, Zenobio stresses. Don’t just start filling a drawer in your home or workplace with no recycling plan. Even when they appear dead, used batteries can still hold a residual charge and pose a safety threat which is why it’s important to make plans to recycle your used batteries as soon as possible. To do so, find a drop off location near you. Adding them to your household recycling bin won’t cut it.

Call2Recycle isn’t the only entity calling for public education and safety. Health Canada recommends a number of best practices for the safe handling and disposal of batteries, including never letting children install batteries and never blending used and new batteries in a single device. It’s also important to never use batteries that are swollen, dented, have torn plastic wrappers, or show other signs of damage or wear,and to always buy batteries from a trusted source.

Want to get involved? Celebrate National Battery Day by gathering your old batteries, bringing them to a drop-off location, and spreading the word to friends and family about the benefits of recycling.

This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Call2Recycle.


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