It’s time to replace and recycle your batteries.
Here’s how to do it right.
For many, the end of June marks the beginning of kicking back, relaxing and whiling away the summer days in earnest. But for hundreds of thousands of renters and homeowners in Quebec, it’s also the time for packing up their worldly goods and hitting the road in their rented vans and trucks.
The busiest moving day of the year is July 1, when an estimated 200,000-plus families change homes. Especially for parents of young children, the end of the school year is the perfect time to pull up stakes, while giving them time over the summer to settle into their new homes.
Barring some occasional rain, it’s also a time of year when the weather is ideal for moving. And the July 1 weekend offers one more bonus: an extra day off to get those boxes unpacked and sent out for recycling.
While there are plenty of big ticket items to manage, moving to a different home is also a great time to think about changing and recycling batteries found in your household items. The best part is, recycling batteries is free and easier than ever – not to mention the environmentally responsible thing to do.
To instill good environmental habits, here are some pointers for collecting and recycling household batteries.
Step 1: Use a handheld battery-testing device to check out the condition of all batteries in your new home, including smoke/CO2 detectors, house alarms, home security-linked devices, electronic door locks, doorbells, and flashlights and lanterns that you keep in store for possible power outages. Don’t forget cordless phones, remote controls, baby monitors, cameras and cordless power tools.
Step 2: Remove any batteries that show signs of leaking, corrosion or swelling immediately and put them in a nonflammable material such as sand or kitty litter, then store them in a cool, dry place.
Step 3: Once you’ve collected the used batteries you want to recycle, you can either place each battery in its own clear plastic bag and put them in a storage container, or tape the terminals with clear packing, non-conductive electrical tape, or duct tape, keeping the label visible. Button batteries can be placed between two layers of tape to keep them from rubbing against each other. Always use plastic containers for storing them.
Step 4: Find a drop-off site near you. The easiest and fastest way to do that is to use the Call2Recycle locator (Call2Recycle.ca/locator). Call2Recycle Canada has more than 1,700 drop-off sites in Quebec, 98% of which are within 15 km of your home or workplace. Many of the locations can be found at large retailers, including drug stores and home improvement centres, as well at local municipal depots. You can also consult the Call2Recycle.ca site for useful information on the types of batteries you might find in your home that can be recycled.
Quebec has long been among the leaders in battery recycling in Canada. Over the past two decades, the province has recycled more than 5 million kg of batteries, which is more than one-third of the countrywide total. And the numbers keep growing, as more residents make battery recycling a part of their yearly routine. In 2017, 0.13 kg of used batteries were recycled per Quebec resident, says Stephanie Foster, marketing and communications specialist at Call2Recycle Canada.
With peak moving season on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to think about recycling batteries. And even if you’re not moving, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of doing regular battery checks every six months.
Recycling batteries is a simple and effective way for everyone to do their part in protecting the environment and keeping families safe.