ATLANTA, May 9, 2013—Poll results released today illuminate some surprising insights into how America’s 85.4 million moms¹ view what may be one of the most overlooked recyclables: rechargeable batteries.

Each year, Americans buy more than 350 million rechargeable batteries² and send about 14,000 tons of them to landfills³. Most come from wireless devices like cellphones, e-readers, laptops and tablets. These batteries utilize space in landfills and may contain materials that could be harmful to the environment.

The study, commissioned by Call2Recycle^® and conducted online by Harris Interactive^® (from May 2-6, 2013 among 2,058 U.S. adults ages 18+), focused on attitudes, concerns and environmentally responsible activities associated with rechargeable batteries and landfills. Among moms with child(ren) under the age of 18 living in the household, the study found:

• 90% of moms* are concerned for their families due to the environmental impact of rechargeable batteries in landfills
• 94% believe something can be done to reduce the potential impact of rechargeable batteries in landfills.  The vast majority—more than four in five (88%)—believe recycling can lessen the problem.

With regard to how eco-friendly behaviors, such as recycling, are learned, shared and taught, moms lead the way:

• 72% of mothers* learn what they can and teach their child(ren), followed by they learn about it at school (55%) and from watching TV (31%)
• A quarter (24%) say their child(ren) teach their family what they learn elsewhere.

“As moms, we are shepherding our children and families through a world that is seeing exponential growth in dependence on rechargeable batteries,” said Linda Gabor, VP of Marketing and Customer Service at Call2Recycle.  “Moms are their children’s first teacher. For this reason, we are excited to see results that reflect environmentally responsible attitudes and leadership among mainstream moms. This is especially important for rechargeable batteries, which are often overlooked as a recyclable product and unfortunately tossed into the trash.”

With 322 million wireless products in use in the U.S.⁴—and mobile, connected devices expected to increase by 100 percent by 2020⁵—all powered by rechargeable batteries, responsible recycling of both the battery and the device will divert millions of tons of potentially harmful heavy metals and e-waste from the waste stream.

Through the Call2Recycle network of more than 30,000 drop-off locations throughout the U.S. and Canada—including Lowes, Best Buy and The Home Depot—recycling rechargeable batteries can be a quick, easy and convenient part of almost any shopping trip.

Additional findings:

More than four in five (88%) believe recycling can reduce the potential impact of rechargeable batteries in landfills. Coming in at a distant second is further education of consumers by government and industry leaders (38%) and rounding out the top three is make manufacturers responsible for the recycling (35%). Closely followed by becoming less dependent on rechargeable batteries (34%) and enacting legislation (20%). 5% believe something else can be done, only 1% believe everything that can be done is being done and 5% think nothing can be done to reduce the potential impact of rechargeable batteries in landfills.

65% (NET) of mothers* say their child(ren) learn about eco-friendly behaviors from outside sources: school (55%), watching TV (31%) from the internet (13%) and from their friends 6%. report learning about it from their friends. A small percentage (3%) do not teach their child(ren) about eco-friendly behavior, whereas, 7% say their child(ren) do not learn about this at all.

 For additional battery stats:  call2recycle.org/batterystats

 *   Mothers with child(ren) under 18 living in the household

About Call2Recycle: Founded in 1994, Call2Recycle—North America’s first and largest battery stewardship program—is a non-profit organization that collects and recycles rechargeable batteries at no cost for municipalities, businesses and consumers. Since 1996, Call2Recycle has diverted over 75 million pounds of rechargeable batteries and cellphones from the solid waste stream and established 30,000 collection sites throughout the U.S. and Canada. It is the first program of its kind to receive the Responsible Recycling Practices Standard (R2) certification. Learn more at call2recycle.org or 877-723-1297.  Follow at facebook.com/call2recycle or twitter.com/call2recycle.

Survey Methodology:

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Call2Recycle from May 2-6, 2013 among 2,058 adults ages 18 and older (of whom 235 are mothers with child(ren) under 18 living in household). This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Jen Childress at (678) 218-4580 or MediaRelations@call2recycle.org.

Sources:

¹ U.S. Census Bureau, ² EPA, ³ Earth911, ⁴ CTIA, ⁵ GSMA  

Oregon: The Oregon Small Rechargeable Battery Stewardship Act (HB2938) did not pass the House Energy and Environment Committee. Read previous post

Washington: The Washington Small Rechargeable Battery Stewardship Act (HB1364/SB5457), which was supported by the rechargeable battery industry and first introduced in January 2013, did not move out of the Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunications committee by the deadline necessary for passage, despite House passage. “We are pleased with all the support that this legislation received but are disappointed that it was unable to pass the Senate committee,” said Carl Smith, CEO and President of Call2Recycle^®. Read previous post

Minnesota and California: Both legislatures are considering battery legislation regarding primary (single-use) batteries; however, our organization’s experience has shown that primary battery legislation will also have an effect on rechargeable battery collections. Minnesota’s HF865 and California’s AB488 both include private right-to-action and will likely contain targets for collection of primary batteries with dates tied to those targets. Minnesota’s HF865 has passed several House committees.

We will continue to provide additional updates on all of these legislative initiatives as information becomes available.

Just ask Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp., a U.S. manufacturer of professional, heavy duty power tools and accessories, who was honored with the award for 2012. The annual award is given to companies that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability as part of the Call2Recycle program.

What’s Milwaukee’s secret?  A corporate culture committed to leading the industry in sustainable practices, including responsibly recycling their products, such as rechargeable batteries, at the end of their lifecycle. Milwaukee was one of the early companies to join the Call2Recycle program and continues to provide valuable funding as a Call2Recycle Licensee. The company has also proven its commitment through its actions: It has diverted nearly 900,000 pounds of rechargeable batteries from the waste stream.

Recycling of rechargeable batteries is clearly viewed as a corporate priority. At the factory, each product is marked with the Call2Recycle Licensee Seal. Product user manuals and the web site prominently feature recycling information. Call2Recycle collection boxes are often visible to the public in the 21 factory service centers. Even the corporate R&D lab and factory use the boxes to recycle used or damaged rechargeable batteries.

Mark Hickok, Director of Safety and Regulatory for Milwaukee Tool, says he is always looking for ways to improve. He uses the Call2Recycle quarterly update report to take the pulse of each location, then looks for ways to make sure the collection rates are trending upward. He also takes advantage of Call2Recycle’s marketing materials, including posters, flyers, and web-site banners to keep his program fresh and up-to-date. His newest project? Working with Call2Recycle to design custom Milwaukee Tool posters to better promote recycling.

“We’ve had a rechargeable battery recycling program for nearly 20 years, so our customers are familiar with our process. Recycling is now part of what they do,” says Hickok. “With Call2Recycle’s help we want to continually improve our collection rates and keep this program successful.”

As product stewardship proponents, we need to identify ways to help facilitate adoption of these bills. This starts with a full understanding of the legislative process, what has been successful, what has been challenging and what has been learned.

What we know is that municipalities are often fundamental drivers of product stewardship legislation. Their landfills have finite capacity, their recycling budgets demand relief and their constituents seek recycling options. The municipalities call on state legislators to craft laws that enable the most responsible disposal and recycling of refuse.

State agencies and legislatures grapple with product stewardship. Agencies often seek legislation that will provide an all-encompassing framework for the disparate recyclable mandates for products like paint, batteries, mattresses and carpeting. However, as states better understand the specifics of channels, materials and recycling behavior, they have often stepped back from this “one size fits all” approach. They’ve seen the difficulties in a single, common approach.

Currently, except for e-Waste, there are few product stewardship laws in the nation. Most laws have been recently enacted. More are expected. Though the intent of these initiatives may be positive, governments need to do a better job of differentiating their approaches to product stewardship.

Defining Characteristics: An Emerging Best Practice for Product Stewardship Legislation

A better approach would be to evaluate products and categorize them based on distinct characteristics, which could better support the enactment of product stewardship laws. Key factors must be taken into account, which can help answer and prioritize municipality concerns and shape future legislation. These include:

1. Funding – It is imperative to determine how the programs are funded. Does the product stewardship organization assess a fee for the take-back program or does it internalize that fee? The differences in each funding mechanism define the level of agency oversight. For example, funds that are generated by a fee imposed at the point of sale demands more detailed oversight than monies generated by a self-funding program.

2. Health – Are there any health-related issues that could complicate the take-back of the product? The improper disposal of both batteries and paint could lead to contamination of groundwater and soil with potentially harmful substances. The issues surrounding hazardous materials and recycling complicate a product stewardship program and require distinct measures to be enacted.]]> http://www.call2recycle.org/important-considerations-for-product-stewardship-legislation-environmental-leader/feed/ 0 http://www.call2recycle.org/annual-report/ http://www.call2recycle.org/annual-report/#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:53:46 +0000 kjahn http://www.call2recycle.org/?p=12116

Shaping a Sustainable Future

View the 2012 annual report online

Call2Recycle^®, North America’s most successful battery collection program, presents our 2012 annual report. By all accounts, it was a successful year: collections were up for the year, public awareness grew, outreach programs generated results and legislative advocacy gained traction.

• Call2Recycle collected 10 million pounds (4.7 million kilograms) of batteries in 2012, a 16% increase over 8.9 pounds (4 million kilograms) in 2011.


• Canada collected over 1 million pounds (454,000 kilograms) of batteries. Collections grew in part due to Call2Recycle’s selection as the official battery recycling program for the province of Quebec.


• Call2Recycle is proud to be the first recycling program of its kind to receive the Responsible Recycling Practices (R2) certification.

            “In 2012, 10 million pounds of batteries were collected and diverted from local landfills through participants in the Call2Recycle^® program. This success is due in large part to the enthusiastic participation of Leaders in Sustainability like Milwaukee Tool,” said Carl Smith, CEO & President, Call2Recycle, Inc. “Their consistent dedication to recycling programs demonstrates how organizations can have a positive environmental impact.”

            Milwaukee Tool has worked hard alongside Call2Recycle and other environmentally-concerned manufacturers to ensure that batteries introduced into the marketplace are being responsibly recycled at the end of their life-cycle.  Through a recycling partnership with Call2Recycle, the first product stewardship program for rechargeable batteries, Milwaukee Tool has helped contribute to the over 10 million pounds of batteries properly managed and diverted from landfills in 2012.

            “We are proud to partner with Call2Recycle to minimize the environmental impacts of the products we launch,” says Mark Hickok, Director of Safety and Regulatory for Milwaukee Tool Corporation. “We have placed recycling centers in each of our authorized service centers, as well as our distribution facilities to ensure that all batteries are properly recycled.”

            Call2Recycle first established the Leader in Sustainability award last year to recognize high-performing organizations in Canada and has extended the award in 2012 to include U.S. participants.  As the leader in Cordless Power Tool development, Milwaukee is committed to continue in this product stewardship effort and looks forward to a continued relationship with Call2Recycle.

 About Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, a Brookfield, Wisconsin-based subsidiary of Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. (TTI) (HKEx stock code: 669, ADR symbol: TTNDY) is an industry leading manufacturer and marketer of professional, heavy duty power tools and accessories.  Products include the legendary SAWZALL® reciprocating saws, M12™, M18™ & M28™ LITHIUM-ION cordless tools, HOLE-HAWG® drills, portable band saws, circular saws, driver drills, hammer drills, rotary hammers, grinders, sanders and a line of Test & Measurement tools.  Accessories include SAWZALL® blades, SWITCHBLADE® self-feed bits, BIG HAWG® hole cutters, THUNDERBOLT® drill bits and SHOCKWAVE Impact Duty™. For more information on the full line of Milwaukee® power tools and accessories, please call 1-800-SAWDUST or visit www.milwaukeetool.com

Linda Gabor is VP of Marketing and Customer Service at Call2Recycle, Inc.

Recently, I spoke with a young man in his early 20s about recycling and the conversation moved to product stewardship. I asked him if he knew what the term meant. He thought for a moment, shook his head and said, “Product stewardship, what’s THAT?”

Industry insiders know the definition of product stewardship to be “the act of minimizing health, safety, environmental and social impacts, and maximizing economic benefits of a product and its packaging throughout all lifecycle stages.” And, we know that “the producer of the product has the greatest ability to minimize adverse impacts, but other stakeholders, such as suppliers, retailers, and consumers, also play a role. Stewardship can be either voluntary or required by law.” Simply put, product stewardship is a policy of minimizing the environmental impacts of products in the marketplace.

Product stewardship programs focused on caring for our environment use the term often because it precisely describes an important aspect of our work – our mission. Current product stewardship organizations like PaintCare (serving paint industry), CARE (serving the carpet industry) and Call2Recycle (serving the battery industry) share the same challenge in connecting with consumers who are likely interested in what we do, but may be excluded by the words we use and what it means to them.

Using messaging that is easy to understand allows the consumer to embrace all the wonderful benefits of product stewardship. Scott Cassel, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), agrees that the term may not be as popular as other environmental buzzwords, but says that, as far as consumers go, taking actions that support product stewardship is far more important than just being able to recite a definition.

“Consumers are one of the most powerful change agents in the marketplace, and they can make a lasting, positive impact on the future of product stewardship just by making an effort to understand how our everyday products affect our health and our environment,” Cassel said. “Of course, product stewardship has to start with the manufacturer before consumers can do their part. That means designing products that are environmentally preferable and setting up programs that allow consumers to safely manage products at the end of their useful lives. The issue is less about getting consumers to use the term ‘product stewardship’ and more about getting them to take environmentally responsible actions that support the principles of product stewardship—actions like dropping off their leftover paint, prescription drugs, batteries, or unwanted electronics at designated take-back sites.”

How many people are left out of conversations about product stewardship simply because they are not familiar with the term?

To my knowledge, there are no studies that accurately measure the public’s understanding of our industry buzzwords. As a result, the Call2Recycle team conducted a quick, non-scientific phone survey with adults (aged 19-73, with a variety of education levels, living in different states) and asked them two questions: first, What is recycling? and second, What is product stewardship? Here’s what we learned: Everyoneknew what recycling means, how and why it is done. But, with product stewardship:

• Almost no one knew of the term or what it meant. The one who did, a 43-year-old executive who works with automotive paint pigments, was familiar with product stewardship because it’s his business to know.
• About half were so unfamiliar with the term that they wouldn’t even venture a guess.
• One-third had no idea but felt comfortable sharing a guess based on their knowledge of the words “product” and “stewardship.” Some of the responses included: “...using products as directed...”, “…sharing products with others, ” or this one, “…a marketing term, to wisely maintain legal integrity of a brand or trademark…”

As product stewardship organizations, we need to identify ways to better share information and talk about who we are and what we do using language that is understandable by industry experts and consumers, alike. With Earth Day 2013 upon us, it’s a great time to talk about this topic with a consumer friendly approach.

Launched in response to the environmental damages caused by a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, Calif., the first Earth Day in 1970 led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. It was the spark for a cultural shift, with millions of individuals, spearheading and rallying behind efforts to protect our environment and natural resources. This revolution of sorts literally changed how business is done, how products are designed, what goes into them and what happens to them at the end of their life. This is what product stewardship is at the consumer level.

Now 43 years later, studies show that consumers are still interested in and passionate about eco-friendly solutions and they are supportive of product stewardship efforts and learning more about it, even though they may know what it is called.]]> http://www.call2recycle.org/product-stewardship-working-to-minimize-the-environmental-impacts-of-products-environmental-leader/feed/ 0 http://www.call2recycle.org/earthday/ http://www.call2recycle.org/earthday/#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:20:27 +0000 kjahn http://www.call2recycle.org/?p=10045 To celebrate this Earth Day (officially April 22nd), Call2Recycle has developed these educational tools to help you promote your environmental commitment through rechargeable battery and cellphone recycling. Click here for Canadian-specific materials.

Guide to Hosting a Collection Event

How to Host an Earth Day Collection Event (PDF)

Customizable Press Release

Earth Day Press Release (MS Word)

Newsletter Articles

Internal and External Newsletter Articles for Earth Day (PDF)

One Pager

Make Earth Day Every Day (PDF)

Social Media

Earth Day Tweets (Sample Tweets)

Web Banners (be sure to link to call2recycle.org)

	Earth Day Web Banner 2013 - 300x250
	Earth Day Web Banner - 760x120
	Earth Day Web Banner - 728x900
	Earth Day Web Banner - 600x120
	Earth Day Web Banner - 160x600