The alkaline battery recycling program at county libraries is celebrating its first anniversary this month.
Since last May, county residents have dropped off approximately 2,300kg (43,000 batteries).
Alkaline battery tubes for collecting used batteries are set up in all 14 Wellington County libraries – residents can drop off their alkaline batteries (up to D size) at the same time they are picking up or dropping off library resources. Both services are free to county residents.
When people use their libraries, they can practice the 3Rs. Every time they borrow an item from the library, like a book, DVD, or CD, they are practicing the first two Rs – reduce and reuse – as they are reducing their consumption of natural resources and are practicing reuse over and over again.
They have also been practicing that third R – recycle – as the alkaline batteries are diverted from landfill and used to make new steel.
The battery recycling program is provided through a partnership between Wellington County’s library branches and solid waste services division.
Solid waste services also collects all household battery types and sizes (alkaline, button cell, lithium manganese dioxide, zinc carbon, zinc chloride, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium, etc.) at household hazardous waste event days and selected hazardous waste depots.
In 2007, through all three collection program, solid waste services collected 7,055kg or approximately 128,278 household batteries – that’s 2,765kg more than the year before.
What does over 7,000kg of batteries look like? Imagine the weight of 409 road bikes – or if the batteries were placed end to end, imagine the height of 1,050 flag poles, or 11 CN Towers.
Statistics Canada estimates over 60% of Ontario households are throwing batteries in the garbage and many others just do not know what they should do with old ones.
Take alkaline batteries (up to D size) to the local library and any type of household battery to an hazardous waste event day or year-round depot. There is no charge to participate. For more information on the Household Hazardous Waste diversion services provided by solid waste services division, visit www.wellington.ca or phone 519-837-2601 or 1-866-899-0248.
