RBRC recognizes community programs in Phoenix, AZ, Washington, D.C., the State of Missouri, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Lexington County, S.C., the City of Hamilton, Canada and the Regional Municipality of Halton, Canada for their leadership in recycling rechargeable batteries
ATLANTA, December 20, 2005 – The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), a nonprofit public service organization dedicated to recycling rechargeable batteries and cellphones, announced today the recipients of its fifth annual ?Community Recycling Leadership Awards? with recipients selected from each region of the U.S. and the country of Canada. One recipient is also awarded the ?National Leadership Award.? These awards recognize RBRC?s community program participants for their outstanding efforts in rechargeable battery and cellphone recycling through the Call2Recycle program.
2005 National Community Recycling Leadership Award Recipient
City of Phoenix Office of Environmental Programs, Phoenix, AZ:
Striving to become a role model for recycling, the City of Phoenix Office of Environmental Programs (OEP) enrolled in the RBRC program in 2003 to further enhance its already successful environmental collection and education programs. Throughout the City of Phoenix, OEP has created an efficient rechargeable battery collection program and has incorporated the RBRC message in various city department recycling programs, extending to other government agencies throughout Arizona.
?The battery recycling program is a great partnership between the OEP and RBRC,? said Lupe Buys, for City of Phoenix, Office of Environmental Programs. ?We use our facility and staff to collect unwanted or unusable rechargeable batteries while RBRC pays for the processing costs to recycle them. This program is of great benefit to the community and the environment.?
As part of its participation in the RBRC program, the OEP is involved in the following initiatives:
- Ongoing public education outreach through the OEP Web site, including specific information about its partnership with RBRC and a specific Web link to the OEP ?Pollution Prevention Tree? that addresses the importance of recycling rechargeable batteries and cellphones;
- Promotion of the RBRC partnership through ?EnviroNotes?; a bi-monthly environmental newsletter and distribution of a monthly flyer on rechargeable battery recycling for all OEP employees;
- Inclusion of RBRC in the ?Hazardous Materials Management Plan,? an environmental handbook consisting of city policies and operation procedures for how hazardous waste should be managed citywide.
To date the OEP?s efforts have resulted in the collection of over 8,200 pounds of rechargeable batteries and cellphones.
2005 Regional Community Recycling Leadership Award Recipients
The following groups were recognized on a regional level for their participation in the Call2Recycle program:
Lexington County Solid Waste Management, Lexington County, SC:
The Lexington County Solid Waste Management program runs a full-time collection program of rechargeable batteries and cellphones. The 12 collection sites strategically placed throughout the city ensure accessibility, in addition to serving as an educational resource for the community. To date the Lexington County Solid Waste Management?s efforts have resulted in the collection of over 2,700 pounds of rechargeable batteries.
Missouri State Recycling Program (MSRP):
Since partnering with RBRC in March of 2004, the Missouri State Recycling Program (MSRP) has instigated a successful statewide enrollment campaign whereby state government agencies enroll in RBRC?s rechargeable battery and cellphone collection program through the state recycling coordinator. Focusing on providing more personalized attention, the state recycling coordinator and the state advisory committee work closely with each enrollee to monitor collection data, coordinate communication efforts and provide support to ensure active participation. In less than two years the program has grown to nearly 50 locations and has gained recognition on the state level. To date MSRP?s efforts have resulted in the collection of over 5,700 pounds of rechargeable batteries and cellphones.
The University of Minnesota Department of Environmental Health
and Safety (DEHS):
The University of Minnesota Department of Environmental Health and Safety was established by the University of Minnesota in 1949 to help protect the health and safety of all people on university campuses and to ensure compliance with applicable codes and regulations.
Since its enrollment in the RBRC program in 2003, DEHS has worked directly with the university community to collect rechargeable batteries from all University of Minnesota campuses and recycle them through RBRC?s Call2Recycle program. To date DEHS? efforts have resulted in the collection of over 1,500 pounds of rechargeable batteries.
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS/BPH), Washington, D.C.:
Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS/BPH administers a free lending program of braille and audio materials, which are circulated to eligible borrowers throughout the U.S.. While they are committed to providing the best technology to the physically impaired, NLS/BPH also recognizes the importance of providing the best solutions to help the environment. As an RBRC program participant since 2000, NLS/BPH has collected Nickel Cadmium batteries commonly found in tape recorders that are used to ?read? books for the visually impaired or physically handicapped. To date the NLS/BPH?s efforts have resulted in the collection of over 44,000 pounds of rechargeable batteries.
The City of Hamilton, Canada:
The City of Hamilton is recognized as a Canadian leader for its efforts in environmental protection. Since its enrollment in the RBRC collection program in 2003, the City of Hamilton has generated a great deal of community involvement in the Call2Recycle program. To date, the City of Hamilton?s efforts have resulted in the collection of over 8,500 pounds of rechargeable batteries.
The Regional Municipality of Halton, Canada:
The Regional Municipality of Halton, Canada is likewise to be commended for its rechargeable battery recycling efforts and is this year?s co-recipient of Canada?s Regional Community Recycling award. Over the past two years the Municipality of Halton has collected a total of 20,575 pounds of rechargeable batteries. These impressive results are primarily due to sustained community outreach and local promotions.
?The success of the RBRC program depends largely on our community partners spreading the word and making it easy for residents to recycle their rechargeable batteries,? said Ralph Millard, Executive Vice President, RBRC. ?Since 1996, RBRC has collected more than 26 million pounds of rechargeable batteries in the U.S. and Canada ? in large part due to the efforts of our community programs making it easy to recycle rechargeable batteries.?
The RBRC rechargeable battery recycling program is available to communities and public agencies without any associated fees. There are currently over 500 local communities that have signed on to recycle rechargeable batteries in the U.S. and Canada. For more information on implementing a community recycling program, contact RBRC toll free at 877-723-1297 or go to www.rbrc.org/community/index.html.
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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.
DEC