New household battery recycling depot opens in Alton
By Dr. Richard Ehrlich Chair of Battery Recycling Project Citizens for a Clean Caledon
There is a new place in West Caledon to recycle your used household batteries.

The Alton Gas Bar at 1556 Queen St. E joins the other Citizens for a Clean Caledon (CCC) battery recycling locations: The Source (formerly Radio Shack) and Canadian Tire in Bolton, Berney's Pro Hardware in Caledon East, and the Palgrave Postal Outlet.

The average home has dozens of items that use batteries: iPods, remote controls, digital cameras, electronic games and toys, cordless gadgets, etc. The list gets bigger every year. Used household batteries cannot be discarded as regular waste for landfill or incineration. Environment Canada did some projections, and by 2010 the toxic waste from 495 million discarded batteries will contain 747 tonnes of lead, 287 tonnes of nickel, 343 tonnes of zinc and 3,501 tonnes of manganese. Canadians only recycle two per cent of household batteries, and thousands of tonnes end up in landfills.

The best way is to reduce this problem is to lower the number of disposable batteries used. The latest 2008 generation low-discharge Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries, such as Sanyo Eneloops and Duracell Pre-charged NiMH, hold far more power than before, and they do not lose charge like the previous ones did.

They cost more than disposable batteries initially, but are much cheaper in the long run. I rarely use any disposable batteries at home or work, as I use rechargeable NiMHs for almost everything. New lithium rechargeable batteries will soon hold even more power. Disposable batteries are best for items that are rarely used, such as an emergency flashlight or smoke detector.

Once a battery is depleted, it needs to be recycled. Caledon is a leader in this area, and CCC has a unique program, where citizens can drop off all types of household batteries at participating retailers for proper recycling. To date we have recycled more than 17,000 kilograms of batteries. The used batteries are picked up by The Battery Broker and sent to various facilities for full recycling.

Used batteries can also be dropped off at the Caledon Community Recycling Centre for hazardous waste disposal, but not recycling.

We at the Citizens for a Clean Caledon would like to thank all the people of Caledon for their excellent participation in this project, the first of its kind in Ontario. We would also like to thank the participating retailers for their cooperation and expertise, and would encourage you to help support them. If you don't see the Battery Recycling Bin or displayed info, please ask them about it.

If you would like to be involved in this or other environmental projects in Caledon, we at CCC would love to hear from you. You can reach us at info@citizensforacleancaledon. org or 905-58GREEN (905-584- 7336).