To ensure long-awaited toys can be powered up as soon as they’re opened and continue running through the holiday season, batteries are at the top of many parents’ holiday shopping lists. But when those batteries need replacing, it’s important they aren’t tossed in the garbage or stored in a junk drawer.
“Many popular holiday gifts require batteries,” says Joe Zenobio, president, Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. “However, batteries can contain toxic materials, so if used batteries are thrown in the garbage and end up in landfill they can harm wildlife and the environment. When your holiday batteries reach the end of their lives, it is important you responsibly recycle them.”
When batteries are responsibly recycled, their valuable materials can be used as input for the manufacturing of new products like bicycles, stainless steel water bottles, pens, small appliances and even sunscreen.
Batteries cannot be put in municipal curbside recycling programs because residential recycling facilities are not designed to separate batteries from household recyclables. However, recycling your batteries is easy with Call2Recycle®, British Columbia’s provincially regulated, not-for-profit battery recycling program. Call2Recycle collection locations can be found at retailers and recycling depots across B.C., including Staples, The Home Depot, London Drugs, Lowes/RONA, Canadian Tire and Best Buy.
When you replace the batteries from remotes, game consoles, headsets and other toys and household items, place each used battery in a clear, sealable plastic bag and then store the bags in a non-metal storage container. Instructions on how to safely protect and store your batteries until you’re ready to recycle them can be found at call2recycle.ca/protect-store-recycle/
When you have collected a handful of batteries ready for recycling, take them with you the next time you’re out doing errands, and drop them at a convenient Call2Recycle collection location.
