Call2Recycle launches battery safety campaign in California

Atlanta-based Call2Recycle, North America’s first and largest consumer battery recycling program, has launched a battery safety campaign in California in conjunction with industry partners and Bay Area recycling centers and waste facilities.

The “Avoid the Spark” initiative aims to educate Californians on battery safety and recycling.

Despite having battery laws in place, Call2Recycle says many Californians remain unaware of the hidden dangers tied to their used batteries. In 2017, 65 percent of fires reported by 26 waste facilities throughout California were said to have been caused by batteries, the nonprofit says, citing the California Product Stewardship Council’s April, 9, 2018, Fire Incident Survey Results.

There remains a gap between consumer understanding and responsibility when it comes to managing batteries once they reach their end-of-life, says Call2Recycle. This points to the need for increased awareness and education around battery safety.   

A recent Nielsen study commissioned by Call2Recycle found that 60 percent of consumers threw away some or all of their single-use batteries and that15 percent did the same with rechargeable batteries.

“Twenty years ago, lithium-based batteries were almost nonexistent,” says Carl Smith, CEO and president of Call2Recycle Inc. “But according to the research, numbers have increased with Americans’ desire to go unplugged. 367 million lithium batteries were sold in 2016 alone, and of those, 44.3 million were consumed in California. This growing trend reinforces the need to increase consumer education efforts on battery safety. California is an excellent state to launch our ‘Avoid the Spark’ education effort.”

To address this matter, Call2Recycle and its industry partners are making efforts to educate the public about battery safety.

Founded in 1994, Call2Recycle works on behalf of stakeholders to provide its battery recycling program to consumers across the U.S. and Canada.