Fall back!
Sigh. Yep, it’s that time of year again. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back tonight.
I’m kind of bummed every year when Daylight Saving Time ends and all of a sudden it’s dark before we even finish dinner…but at least we gain an extra hour of sleep, right? (Ha! We all know how well that works when you’re a parent!)
Love it or hate it, the end of daylight saving time is also a good time to check the safety devices around your home that help keep your family safe. Consider this your friendly reminder to clean, test, and replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
But what should you do with all your old batteries?
You take them to your local Call2Recycle drop-off location, that’s what!
Batteries power almost everything in our lives, from our cell phones and laptops, to noisy toys (thanks Grandma!) and smoke detectors, but as convenient as batteries are, they also have a downside. Depending on the type of battery, they can release potentially hazardous materials into the environment if not disposed of properly. Lithium batteries in the landfill can cause fires or even explode. Recycling batteries protects our environment and helps conserve our natural resources.
Call2Recycle accepts all rechargeable batteries weighing up to 5 kg each, including Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-Ion), Nickel Zinc (Ni-Zn) and Small Sealed Lead Acid (SSLA/Pb), as well as single use alkaline, lithium primary and carbon-zinc batteries.
Since 1997, the program has recycled more than 18 million kilograms of batteries, keeping them out of local landfills and recovering the valuable materials inside them that can be used to create new batteries and other products. With 8,000 locations across the country, over 90% of Canadians live within 15 km of a Call2Recycle drop-off location so there’s no excuse. It’s easy, and it’s FREE!
5 Tips for Safe and Easy Battery Recycling
- Safety first! Be sure to safely prep your batteries. There are two options: bag or tape.
- Option A: Bag each battery in its own clear plastic bag before placing it in a storage container.
- Option B: Or, tape the terminals with clear packing, non-conductive electrical or duct tape, keeping label visible.
- Stay cool. Store the batteries in a cool, dry place. Incidents can occur when batteries are exposed to inclement or excessively hot weather. Store them in a plastic container; avoid metal.
- Possible damage? If you see a swollen or bulging battery, immediately put it in a non-flammable material, such as sand or kitty litter in a cool, dry place. DO NOT THROW AWAY. Contact Call2Recycle, the manufacturer or retailer immediately for instructions, especially if the label says it is Lithium or Lithium-Ion.
- Timing is everything. Aim to drop off batteries to recycle within six months, ensuring they are bagged or taped. You can use the Call2Recycle locator to find the nearest drop-off site.
- Spread the word. As we all use batteries to power our world, share the knowledge about battery recycling. It’s the right thing to do and helps keep batteries out of landfills!
Win a $100 Gift Card to Best Buy
One of my readers will win a $100 gift card to Best Buy, a Call2Recycle partner retailer, to pick up something nice as a reward for being nice to the environment! Enter in the giveaway widget below. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada, 18+. All the winner’s entries will be verified.
Click here to check out my other open giveaways and be sure to follow me on Facebook!
This is a sponsored conversation. Nevertheless, all opinions expressed are completely honest and my own. Your experience may differ.
We have a little can given to us by the recycling place that is shaped like a garbage can and labelled “USED BATTERIES” so we always know where to put them and they all get disposed of at one time and safely.
My kids school actually holds a battery recycling drive each year so we save them up for that as the school rewards classes and makes it a bit of a competition.
I keep a small bag to put our batteries in and when it gets full I take them to my work as they recycle them there.
We put all used batteries in a basket and take them to our recycle depot that excepts batteries when the small basket is full.
We put each battery into a clear plastic bag and take them to our recycling depot
We get a bag from the city that is only for old batteries. They pick up once a year (this week in fact). All of our old and used batteries go into that bag. None go into the garbage
We properly recycle them at our closest recycling centre.
We always take our batteries to a recycling place.
I put them in my recycling bin that i take to my local recyclers.
Honestly, ours have just always gone in the garbage. We mostly use rechargeables now but it’s great to know I can just take them to Canadian tire!
I have a box in our junk drawer for batteries.
I take my batteries to a recycling centre, or leave them at the curb when they pick up batteries – just this week!
We have a bucket in the basement for batteries that y husband takes to recycling when full. When we camp they are collected in a tupperware container then added to the bucket when we get home.
We have a separate trash bag in the office for batteries and we bring them to recycle once it’s full.
We collect all old or used batteries in a bag..and once a year take it ti a recycling center
To make sure that batteries get recycled and do not get thrown in the garbage we have a little container specifically for batteries. When it is full we take it to be recycled. We take it to our local Home Depot who has a bin 🙂
I have a plastic container full of batteries. I then take them to the recycling depot where they are safely disposed of.
We have a box for batteries in our trash/recycle area — when it’s full, hubby takes them to work for recycling. His employer has a huge recycling program that we take advantage of.
Always take the batteries to the nearest recycling depot for batteries
My office has a recycling box, so I bring our used batteries from home there to recycle properly. I didn’t know you had to bag them individually though!
We keep them in a bag in the garage and then a couple times a year I drop them off at a battery recycling depot
We have a battery recycling program in our city that collects once a year, so we do that. They provide a bag and we just leave them for collection.
We take our batteries to a recycle centre.
I recycle my batteries through my work
We have a box in the garage for old batteries. We take it to the recycling centre.
my husband is in charge of battery recycling. he has a bin in his office and we all chuck them in there. he takes them to the depo once every 6 months.
We have a bag/basket that we collect anything that is potentially toxic; we then sort it and make a trip to the proper depot or drop off site for said items. So with batteries, we drop off at a Best Buy or a Rona/Lowes.
We make sure to bring them to a recycling center.
we go to our recycling center and they dispose of them properly
We have a box that put the batteries into and once it’s full (or even half) we bring it to either Staples or Home Depot in town.
at my workplace there is a spot to put old batteries.
I am not sure what happens to them after that.
We keep a ziplock bag in a drawer for all our old batteries to be recycled.
I collect batteries in a box and when it is filled, I take them to a depot!
To make sure we always recycle whatever we can our family has a dedicated bin where we put all of the stuff that can’t be put in our home pick up bin and routinely take that to our local return-it Depot. We keep the batteries in their own bag inside the bin. My son loves being a part of the recycle and compost routine because Daddy let’s him ride the packed wagon down the elevator and into the parkade where our building’s recycling is and watch daddy sort it – of course he’s a big help!
We use the recycling centers that are close to us
We keep used batteries in a box under the sink and bring them in monthly!
We’ve got a container for batteries, once every few months we take it to the local recycling center!
My family drops all used batteries into our household closet blue bin and when i go to the depot, i bring them in while returning our bottles and cans.
We have a small tote in the basement that we keep dead batteries in. My daughter’s school has a program where we bring them in & they take them to the recycling facility.
We ensure that the family recycles batteries by placing a basket for them in an easily visible site.
Yes, we recycle to our nearest Staples and Best Buy centre in our hometown.
We put the batteries etc. in a ziplock bag for easy take away. Great sweeps gc too.
My husband actually take our batteries to work…they have a recycling bin for them
We bring it to our local recycling centre!
We have a bag that is provided and we put all our batteries in it for the year and then on the scheduled week that we are allowed – we put it out for special collection.
We mostly use rechargeable batteries to minimize our battery pollution but we use disposables in a few weather proof appliances like outdoor toys, those we recycle at the bottle/recycle depot. They also recycle electronics and small appliances like televisions.
I have a box in one of the blue bins just for batteries
i keep a container and drop them off at london drugs
We put our old batteries in a plastic container in our garage and when I go to work I take them with me and drop them off at our city recycling depot – it is adjacent to my work, and we even share a parking lot, so it is very convenient.
Our city has a recycling program, we always utilize it.
We have a jar in our hallway closet clearly labeled “OLD BATTERIES”. When it fills up, we take it to our local drugstore which collects old batteries.