Call2Recycle® applauds Californians for leading the charge on National Battery Dayand ranking as one of the nation’s top 10 battery recycling states by collecting more than 1,261,000 pounds of batteries. Overall, U.S. consumers recycled7.2 million pounds of batteries last year through the Call2Recycle program.
“Since the inception of the Call2Recycle program, Californians have diverted more than 15,577,000 pounds of batteries from landfills and helped make the environment of California cleaner and safer,” said Call2Recycle Executive Vice President of External Relations, Linda Gabor. “With consumers relying more and more on battery-powered devices, National Battery Day is the perfect reminder that batteries and other electronics are an important part of the recycling picture.”
“We are proud of the residents of California for their commitment to responsibly manage batteries once they no longer power their devices,” said Tracie Onstad Bills, interim executive director of the California Resource Recovery Association. “Battery fires are on the rise in recycling facilities, and local agencies and private industry within California and nationally are working hard to provide the right messaging for residents to know how to manage these important materials. We look forward to our continued partnerships with organizations such as Call2Recycle to recycle all batteries in the near future.”
Before recycling, consumers should review tipson how to safely prepare their batteries. It’s as easy as 1-2-3:
- Protect: Batteries can be bagged or taped to provide protection. You can tape the positive terminal with non-conductive electrical, duct or clear packing tape OR individually place batteries in plastic bags (non-grocer).
- Store: Keep batteries in a cool place, avoiding metal containers. Try to recycle within six months.
- Recycle: Use the Call2Recycle locatorto find a nearby drop-off location. 95 percent of California residents live within 10 miles of a drop-off site.
Since 1994, the Call2Recycle program has diverted and recycled more than 115 million pounds of batteries from U.S. landfills.