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ATLANTA, March 21, 2003 – Friday, March 21 marks the beginning of
Spring and, with it, comes the annual ritual of Spring Cleaning, giving
homeowners the opportunity to check the nooks and crannies of their
homes to rid their houses and garages of useless objects collecting
dust. However if anyone has thoughts about tossing that “dead”
rechargeable battery in their old camcorder, think again!

Many people may not know that the rechargeable batteries that power the
portable electronics products in their homes, such as cellular and
cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, electric toothbrushes,
electric shavers and cordless power tools, can and should be recycled
when they can no longer hold a charge. Before retiring old household
portables, take a minute to check for and remove any used rechargeable
batteries.

Consumers can call 1-800-8-BATTERY or go to www.rbrc.org to find a list
of nearby drop off locations. All types of rechargeable batteries found
in portable electronic products can be recycled: Nickel Cadmium
(Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) and Small
Sealed Lead (Pb)*.
(* weighing less than 2 lbs. or 1 kg.)

GREEN TIPS:
   
With so many “batteries required” products on the market, make sure to
follow these tips from The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation
to maximize the use of your rechargeable batteries while they are still
charged up:
   

• Follow the charging guidelines provided by the manufacturer. Depending
  on the individual product, there are specific initial battery charging
  times (usually overnight) before using the product for the first time.
  This will enable you to obtain maximum battery capacity
• Let your battery cool to room temperature before recharging. The charge
  efficiency of most batteries is greatly reduced at elevated temperatures
• Recharge batteries when they are near to fully discharged. You can tell
  that a battery is discharged by a sharp drop in power or speed
• Keep the contact of rechargeable batteries clean – wipe them with a cloth soaked in alcohol.
• Never return a fully charged battery to the charger for an extra boost.
  This will overcharge the cells and shorten the life of the battery
• Never leave your cellular phone, camcorder, etc., in the charger when
  not charging, unless approved by the manufacturer’s instructions. Don’t
  use your charger as a stand! Continuous charging will shorten battery
  life
• If your rechargeable battery will no longer hold a charge, call
  1-800-8-BATTERY or go to www.rbrc.org to find the drop off location
  nearest you

The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) – a nonprofit,
public service organization dedicated to rechargeable battery recycling.

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.