Battery Group Announces Winners of Recycling Awards

The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation announced the recipients of its third annual "Community Recycling Leadership Award." This award recognizes RBRC community program participants for their outstanding efforts in rechargeable battery recycling. Each year, one community program is awarded the National Leadership Award and two programs receive the Regional Leadership Award.

2004 National Community Recycling Leadership Award Recipient Gary Schimmels of the Spokane Regional Solid Waste Liaison Board and a City of Spokane Valley Council Member accepted the RBRC National Community Recycling Leadership Award today at the "Washington Recycles Day" luncheon at the WSU/Spokane County Extension Education Center. The Spokane Regional Solid Waste System has been part of the RBRC community recycling program since February 2003 and since then has collected more than 25,000 lbs. of rechargeable batteries.

Community recycling programs in Sandy Springs, GA and Olmstead, MN were awarded RBRC's Regional Community Recycling Leadership Awards:

In announcing these awards, the RBRC noted that the Sandy Springs/ North Fulton Keep America Beautiful affiliate has rapidly increased their collection rate as well as their education and public outreach to the Sandy Springs community. They currently collect rechargeable batteries on a full time basis at their state-of-the-art recycling center, the Dick Schmalz Recycling Center. The KAB chapter has collected more than 3,500 pounds of rechargeable batteries since joining the program.

In Olmstead County, Minnesota, the County Public Works department was singled out. Enrolled in the RBRC program since 1996, the Olmstead County Public Works program has a permanent recycling facility that operates year-round and processes about 200 tons of material from 8,000 customers each year. Special initiatives include: the collection of more than 3,000 pounds of rechargeable batteries; -- Annual mobile (bookmobile style) hazardous waste collections in rural areas throughout Olmstead, MN.