Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation Honors Leadership in Battery Recycling Efforts
ATLANTA, November 13, 2002 – The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), a non-profit organization dedicated to recycling rechargeable batteries, announced today that the Indiana Household Hazardous Waste Task Force (IHHWTF) was awarded the second annual National Community Recycling Leadership Award, with special recognition being given to the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District in Indiana. The award will be presented today at the offices of the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District in Bloomington, IN.
The RBRC Community Recycling Leadership Award recognizes RBRC community program participants for their outstanding efforts in rechargeable battery recycling. Each year, one community program is awarded RBRC’s National Leadership Award and two programs receive Regional Leadership Awards.
“The goal of the RBRC Community Recycling Leadership Award is two-fold: to recognize best-in-class programs and to encourage other communities to strive to develop programs that mirror those honored by the RBRC award,” said Ralph Millard, executive vice president, RBRC. “The Indiana Household Hazardous Waste Task Force has done a superb job demonstrating these qualities and we commend them for their exemplary work.”
The Task Force, a statewide household hazardous waste organization of solid waste management districts and other local government entities, has worked with RBRC for nearly six years. In that time, they have quickly moved to the head of the pack – growing their recycling and education program in leaps and bounds.
- In 2001, IHHWTF collected nearly 11,800 pounds of rechargeable batteries
- Monroe County’s Solid Waste Management District, which is receiving special recognition, weighed-in collecting 4,445 pounds of the nearly 11,800 pounds of batteries
- In a year and a half, the number of communities in Indiana participating in the RBRC collection program has increased 325 percent
- There are over 350 collection sites in Indiana that accept rechargeable batteries
“Rarely do we see the private sector produce such a comprehensive, cooperative solution to environmental liabilities generated from their products,” said Susan Haislip, Chairperson, and IHHWTF. “We believe the battery manufacturers got it right when they developed RBRC and we commend them for this program.”
The Task Force has plans to continue its growth and outreach with a statewide education campaign which will kickoff today. The Task Force hopes that the new “If it’s rechargeable, it’s recyclable” campaign will introduce more Hoosiers to the group’s battery collection program and the importance of recycling rechargeable batteries.
RBRC’s community recycling program provides communities and municipalities information on how to operate a household battery collection program. Through RBRC’s program, participating communities and municipalities can receive collection containers and collateral materials at no cost. Over 300 communities in the U.S. and Canada currently take part in RBRC’s Charge Up to Recycle! ® program. These community programs are in addition to the over 30,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Canada that participate in the RBRC program.
To register as an RBRC community collection participant call toll free (877) 723-1297 or go to http://www.rbrc.org/community/
To find out more about recycling programs in Indiana, call the Indiana Department of Environmental Management at (800) 988-7901.
To find the nearest rechargeable battery drop-off location, consumers can call 1-800-8-BATTERY or go to www.rbrc.org
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About IHHWTF
The mission of the Indiana Household Hazardous Waste Task Force is to seek and develop
opportunities to protect Indiana’s environment and human health through environmentally and
economically sound management of universal and EPA exempt hazardous wastes. We promote
cooperative efforts among public and private entities emphasizing a regional approach to education and proper handling and disposal of environmentally harmful materials.”
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.
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