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The New York Product Stewardship Council, New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling and Call2Recycle sponsor webinar

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (Sept. 30, 2011) – Municipal and county recycling programs may bear the financial burden for recycling rechargeable batteries when the statewide disposal ban on rechargeable batteries goes into effect. The New York Product Stewardship Council (NYPSC) and New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse & Recycling (NYSAR3), in partnership with Call2Recycle^®, have developed a complimentary webinar to discuss the December 5, 2011 disposal ban for rechargeable batteries, what it really means for municipalities and where to recycle the batteries. The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 2pm ET.

“New York counties and municipalities are already saving hundreds of thousands with the implementation of New York State’s electronic waste product stewardship law,” said Katherine Bourbeau, Coordinator at NYPSC. “This webinar will show NY municipals how to set up free and convenient rechargeable battery recycling centers in their jurisdictions, with no cost to local government.”

This webinar, What the New York State Rechargeable Battery Recycling Law Means for You, will offer an overview of the recycling law by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the municipality’s role, tips for a successful rechargeable battery recycling program and information about Call2Recycle, the only free battery and cellphone collection program in North America. Also, the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) will describe lessons learned and what makes their program successful. The goal is to educate recycling coordinators, supervisors and household hazardous waste managers across New York State on how easy and convenient it is to recycle their rechargeable batteries through existing free collection programs like the Call2Recycle program.

“We are pleased to be part of this webinar in an effort to educate New York State communities about how easy it is to divert rechargeable batteries from the waste stream using our program,” said Jennifer Childress, Director of Marketing at Call2Recycle. “Our program has operated in New York since 1994 and we have had the opportunity to provide a no-cost solution to hundreds of municipal and county programs across the country.”

The law adds rechargeable batteries to a growing list of products that New York residents can return to retailers at the end of their useful life. Used plastics bags, lead-acid batteries and most beverage containers can already be returned through retailers for proper management after use.