New program makes battery recycling easier

New program makes battery recycling easier

B.C. residents are being encouraged to recycle their used cell phones and batteries as part of a new provincial collection program.(ibm thinkpad r40 battery)

As part of the Call2Recycle program, which will be launched on July 1, batteries can be dropped off at one of nearly 1,500 recycling sites at stores, businesses and public agencies across B.C.(ibm thinkpad t22 battery)

"This will make it easier for consumers who have either a small battery or alkaline battery or cell phone that they're not using anymore... to be able to recyle it and by having this system they're able to phone, find out where the nearest location is, go over there and drop it off," said B.C. Minister of State for Climate Action John Yap.(ibm thinkpad t30 laptop battery)

While the Call2Recycle program has allowed people to recycle reusable batteries since 1997, the newly expanded provincial initiative will allow B.C. residents to drop off all kinds of batteries, up to five kilograms, as well as cell phones.

Carl Smith, the president and CEO of Call2Recycle, said some batteries contain hazardous chemicals such as mercury, cadmium and lead. The recycling program helps to dispose of these products in a safe way, and to keep products out of landfills and waste streams.

"Everybody now recognizes that whether it's because of the commitment to zero waste, or toxics in the environment, that we need to do all we can to properly recycle," said Smith.

The program will eventually be expanded to allow for the recyling of other materials such as thermostats.

Yap said the recycling initiative is part of a broader goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"If we can recycle as much as we can of some of the metals, that reduces our overall carbon footprint because we don't have to use some virgin minerals from the initial source," he said. "So the more we recycle, the higher we can get that percentage, the better it is for our sustainability."

At a Vancouver Board of Trade talk Tuesday, Yap also announced $25 million for the Public Sector Energy Conservation Agreement, which was launched in 2007 and designed to create jobs and reduce carbon pollution. The funding will be divided between four categories: $6 million for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning retrofits in K-12 schools, $2 million towards solar thermal projects, $12 million towards rural and urban district energy-saving systems, and $5 million for an open call for proposals to all provincial public sector organizations to fund energy retrofit programs.

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