February 18th is National Battery Day and Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba (MMSM) is partnering with Call2Recycle to raise awareness and remind Manitobans to properly recycle their batteries.
Manitobans are recycling more batteries than ever before, by volume, but there is room for growth. Call2Recycle reports that in 2022, Manitobans helped divert over 153,000 kilograms of batteries from landfill, the strongest collection result in the province’s history. However, an Ipsos survey commissioned by Call2Recycle also showed that only half of Manitobans are recycling their household batteries.
Many of these remaining batteries are being thrown into the garbage, which is hazardous for the environment, while others are ending up in recycling bins. When batteries get into the residential recycling stream, they can pose a danger to sorting staff and have the potential to start fires.
“Residents should only put accepted materials in their recycling bins. Batteries are not accepted in residential recycling programs and can cause challenges in Material Recovery Facilities. Residents should take them to a drop-off location to be recycled,” says MMSM’s Executive Director, Karen Melnychuk.
“It’s important to recycle used batteries to help protect the environment and support a healthy circular economy,” adds Joe Zenobio, President of Call2Recycle Canada. “Batteries should never be thrown out. Materials reclaimed in the recycling process can be used to make new products. So, if you’re not already recycling, National Battery Day is a great time to start.”
Call2Recycle wants Manitobans to remember three things when recycling their batteries: collect, protect, and drop-off. Residents should collect their used batteries in a non-metal container. Protect them by storing them in a cool dry place away from the sun and by taping the positive terminals of lithium, small sealed lead acid (SSLA), button cell, and alkaline batteries over 12V with non-conductive tape. This reduces the chance of sparks. Finally, they recommend residents drop off their batteries once every three months to avoid corrosion. Call2Recycle has over 700 drop-off locations in Manitoba, including convenient and highly accessible major retailers, businesses, and municipal facilities. You can find one near you at www.RecycleYourBatteries.ca.
Call2Recycle is spreading the word with an ad campaign currently on TV and online. Fans attending the February 23rd Manitoba Moose hockey game can also look forward to receiving a “collection cube” to help them start collecting their used batteries at home.
MMSM has developed the Recyclepedia, a web tool and free mobile app that tells you what can and can’t be recycled, and where to dispose of different materials. It’s available in 13 different languages and has location-specific information for different communities throughout the province. Learn more here.
About MMSM:
MMSM is an industry-funded, not-for-profit organization that funds and provides support for Manitoba’s residential recycling programs for packaging and printed-paper, in accordance with the Packaging and Printed Paper Stewardship Regulation. Its goal is to promote the reduction, reuse and recycling of the materials managed in its program while increasing recovery rates.
About Call2Recycle Canada, Inc.:
Call2Recycle® is Canada’s leading organization for battery collection and recycling, fulfilling product stewardship obligations on behalf of over 400 members, including producers of single-use and rechargeable batteries. It is the provincially-approved consumer battery collection and recycling program for British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island, and operates as a registered Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Ontario according to the Ontario Batteries Regulation. Since its inception in 1997, Call2Recycle has diverted almost 40 million kilograms of batteries from Canadian landfills.