Battery Recycling Group Announces Awards

The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. 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 three programs receive the Regional Leadership Award.

The City of Seattle was presented the National Leadership Award. The city of Seattle has been part of the RBRC community recycling program since 2000. In 2002 they collected a total of 1,371 pounds of rechargeable batteries -- a five percent increase from 2001.

"Seattle has one of the highest recycling rates in the nation, and I'm proud that city departments are doing their part to maintain our leadership in recycling," said City of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. "Recycling in Seattle saved the city, and therefore citizens, tens of millions of dollars since 1989. And that's in addition to the benefits to the environment."

The City of Seattle program receives special recognition for their efforts to educate community members about the importance, and ease, of recycling rechargeable batteries.

Community recycling programs in Sarasota, Fla.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Westmorland-Alberta were awarded RBRC's Regional Recycling Leadership Awards:

The Sarasota County Hazardous Waste Management has been an RBRC program participant since May 1997, and has had battery recycling drop-off locations throughout the community since April 2000. Special initiatives include:

Signing up over 100 different locations where community members can drop off their used rechargeable batteries;

Collecting over 8,500 pounds of rechargeable batteries since joining the program. Collecting 2,840 pounds of rechargeable batteries in 2002 alone;

Including collection of used rechargeable batteries during special household hazardous waste collections with the county's mobile collection unit, and also at the county's two Chemical Collection Centers.

Kansas City Household Hazardous Waste Management Program, Kansas City:

Enrolled in the RBRC program since April 2000, the Kansas City Household Hazardous Waste Management Program efforts to educate community members and collect used rechargeables have included:

Collecting over 1,500 pounds of rechargeable batteries;

Operating mobile collection events for electronics products throughout the year and incorporating rechargeable battery drop off boxes at such events.

Westmorland-Alberta Solid Waste Corporation, New Brunswick, Canada was cited for the following reasons:

First community in Canada to enroll in RBRC program

Collecting more than 1,400 pounds of rechargeable batteries

Encouraged 14 fire departments to enroll in the RBRC Public Agency program

Designated April 21 as Rechargeable Battery Recycling Day

Online community calendar includes RBRC listing.