Vermont Top State for Battery Recycling in 2018
Atlanta-based Call2Recycle, Inc. revealed the top 10 battery recycling states on Feb. 18, National Battery Day.
Call2Recycle, Inc., the country's first and largest consumer battery recycling program, marked Feb. 18's National Battery Day by releasing its list of the 2018 top 10 battery recycling states, based on program participation. Vermont topped the list, followed by Delaware, Georgia, Minnesota, California, Illinois, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington. The company reported that the top 10 states were ranked based on per capita collection performance.
Contributing factors driving the top 10 states performance included strong participation from manufacturers along with public collection networks (municipalities and retailers). A surge in the removal and management of damaged batteries from the market and education awareness efforts also complemented collection efforts, according to the company.
National Battery Day is celebrated annually on February 18 as a way of reminding consumers to responsibly recycle their batteries once they no longer power devices. The company said the top 10 battery recycling states responsibly disposed of nearly 3.5 million pounds of batteries in 2018, helping to support the program's mission of protecting the planet by keeping batteries out of landfills.
"National Battery Day provides the opportunity to recognize the contributions of our top 10 battery recycling states and spotlight the ease of year-round battery recycling," said Call2Recycle Executive Vice President of External Relations Linda Gabor. "As batteries continue to power our daily lives, we must continue to be good stewards of the environment by safely recycling batteries once they reach their end of life."
The program's collection network allows for easy and accessible battery recycling, with 86 percent of residents living within 10 miles of a drop-off location. Before recycling, consumers should review tips on how to safely prepare their batteries.
Last year, Call2Recycle collected 7.2 million pounds of consumer batteries. Since 1994, the program has diverted and recycled more than 115 million pounds of batteries from U.S. landfills.
Call2Recycle, Inc. is committed to protecting and preserving the environment through collecting and recycling consumer batteries and cellphones. Founded in 1994, the not-for-profit organization works on behalf of stakeholders to provide its consumer battery recycling program to consumers across the United States.