Call2Recycle, Atlanta, has announced that it collected more than 6.7 million pounds of rechargeable batteries in 2010, a 10.1 percent increase from the prior year. Call2Recycle operates through a network of more than 30,000 retail, municipal and business partners.
In Canada, Call2Recycle reports that battery collection efforts soared by more than 81 percent largely because of its July 1 expansion in British Columbia and Ontario to include the collection of all household batteries.
British Columbia’s total collections increased by nearly 420 percent, with more than 43,000 kilograms (94,600 pounds) of rechargeable batteries and slightly more than 96,000 kilograms (211,200 pounds) of primary batteries collected in the province. In Ontario, battery recycling efforts increased by 59 percent, with collections of more than 139,000 kilograms (305,800 pounds) of rechargables and more than 75,000 kilograms (165,000 pounds) of primary batteries.
"The battery recycling landscape is changing with the enactment of legislation in Canada and the consideration of new legislation in other areas," says Carl Smith, president and CEO of Call2Recycle. "That, coupled with the strength of our 2010 results and a heightened awareness among industries and the public of the importance of recycling the items we use, inspires confidence in our performance for 2011 and beyond."