Green Deal Christmas Battery
The decorations are coming out, and it won’t be long before new battery-powered devices arrive under the tree. Now is a good time to clean out the drawers of all those old batteries that are dead, dying or somewhere in between. But you should never put them in the garbage! Here are three good reasons to recycle your batteries right at London Drugs.
1. Batteries can contain toxic materials.
From toxic chemicals to heavy metals, battery recycling helps keep potentially toxic materials from entering the waste stream. Besides taking up space in landfill, improperly disposed batteries can threaten wildlife and cause unnecessary fires.
2. Many kinds of batteries can be recycled.
We usually think of the classic D, C, AA or AAA cylindrical battery first, but there are a wide variety of other types that can be recycled. London Drugs accepts “button” style batteries, rechargeable NiCad and Lithium Ion batteries and all other types of single use batteries up to 5 kg. . (For larger batteries or car batteries which are NOT accepted at our stores, check the Canadian Battery Association website and enter your postal code for the nearest drop-off point)
3. Recycling materials is easier on the environment.
Batteries contain elements like nickel, cobalt and lithium which require extensive resources to mine and process. Recycling helps reclaim these re-useable metals and chemicals from the original battery, reducing the impact and carbon footprint of sourcing virgin materials.
Once your batteries are picked up for recycling, they are sorted and materials are reclaimed for use in the manufacturing of new products, including new batteries, watches, golf clubs and small appliances.
A few notes on properly recycling your batteries:
Household batteries can be dropped off at your local London Drugs store.
Single-use (alkaline) batteries should be separated from rechargeables.
Its a good idea to protect the terminal end of rechargeable batteries with a small piece of masking tape or duct tape.
If a battery is swollen, corroded, leaking or damaged: Immediately store it in a non-flammable material such as sand or kitty litter in a cool, dry place. Then, place the battery (one per bag) in a clear sealable plastic bag and take it to your municipal household hazardous waste (HHW) recycling centre. Do not throw it in the garbage for any reason.
For more information about safe battery recycling visit Call2Recycle.ca
