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New York’s Bravest and Finest are also New York’s “Greenest”

NEW YORK, March 22, 2007 – The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), a non-profit public service organization dedicated to recycling used rechargeable batteries and old cellphones, has recognized the New York City Fire and Police Departments (FDNY/NYPD) as the winners of its 2006 “Regional Recycling Leadership Award.” RBRC presented the award on March 22, 2007 at City Hall Restaurant at 11:30 am.

Both the NYPD and FDNY have been enrolled in the RBRC Call2Recycle™ recycling program since 2005, as part of their ongoing efforts to enhance their already successful environmental collection and education programs. A focal point of the two departments is collecting two-way radios, which are key to their communications, and laptop batteries, as the majority of the police cruisers now come equipped with laptop computers. Together, the two departments collected a combined total of over 7 tons of rechargeable batteries, with the NYPD credited with 11,092 pounds and the FDNY credited with 3,366 pounds.

The efforts of the two groups is especially notable since they were “green ahead of their time,” and actively collecting rechargeable batteries prior to the Local Law 97, which went into effect on December 1, 2006. According to the new law, consumers in New York City are banned from disposing of rechargeable batteries as part of their regular solid waste. Additionally, all retailers in New York City are required to collect used rechargeable batteries from their customers.

“We are honored to have been recognized, along with our firefighter brothers, for our rechargeable battery recycling efforts,” said NYPD’s Captain John Howard. “We are glad that all New Yorkers will likewise be committed to recycling their rechargeable batteries responsibly.”

“Each day we save people from dangerous fires and help keep this city safe,” said FDNY’s Chief Kerry Stephen. “By participating in the RBRC program, we are able to help save the environment as well.”

“Since 9/11 New York City’s Finest and Bravest have become emblematic of what America best represents,” said Ralph Millard, Executive Vice President, RBRC. “The fact that these two organizations have done an outstanding job in the collection and recycling of rechargeable batteries is just another example of how they excel at all that they do.”

The RBRC Recycling Leadership Award recognizes RBRC program participants each year for their outstanding efforts in rechargeable battery and cellphone recycling. This year, the Alberta Environment, Action on Waste Program, Alberta, Canada and the Holloman Air Force Base, Alamogordo, New Mexico received national recycling leadership awards, while the Escambia County Department of Solid Waste Management, Cantonment, Florida; the Marion County Department of Public Works – Environmental Services, Salem, Oregon; and the Illinois Department of Corrections, Springfield, Illinois all received regional recycling leadership awards.

The RBRC rechargeable battery recycling program is available to communities and public agencies without any associated fees. There are currently over 5,000 communities and public agencies that have signed on to recycle rechargeable batteries in the U.S. and Canada. For more information on implementing a recycling program, contact RBRC toll free at 877-2-RECYCLE or go to www.rbrc.org.

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About Call2Recycle®
Call2Recycle is the industry’s first and only product stewardship program for rechargeable batteries. The nonprofit program is administered by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), a public service organization dedicated to rechargeable battery recycling. There are more than 30,000 Call2Recycle drop-off locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. More than 175 manufacturers and marketers of portable rechargeable batteries and products show their commitment to conserve natural resources and prevent rechargeable batteries from entering the solid waste stream by funding the Call2Recycle program. In pursuit of its mission, Call2Recycle also collects old cellphones, which are either recycled or refurbished and resold when possible with a portion of the proceeds benefiting select charities. For more information, call 877-2-RECYCLE or visit www.call2recycle.org.