Officials charged up for more battery recycling on P.E.I. this year despite drop in 2020
(Brittany Spencer/CBC - image credit)
Island Waste Management Corporation has seen a dip in the the number of household batteries recycled in 2020.
Heather Myers, disposal manager with IWMC, said they estimate close to 20,000 kilograms of batteries were recycled last year.
About 37,000 kilograms were recycled by Islanders in 2019.
"The only real reason that we can think of for that is due to COVID-19," Myers said.
"There would be a lot of people that don't want to bring their batteries to a recycling box, so hopefully they are storing them properly."
The organization that works with IWMC for recycling batteries is the not-for-profit stewardship program Call2Recycle.
Officials said there were 4.1 million kilograms of batteries collected in 2020 across Canada.
Line Bérubé, program director for eastern Canada for Call2Recycle, said they are seeing similar lower numbers in other Atlantic provinces.
"We did have a decrease in P.E.I. like in other provinces," Bérubé said.
"Some provinces kept stable. Some other provinces like Ontario, because there was new regulation, we saw an increase in collection, but I would say in Atlantic, including P.E.I., we had some decrease there."
She said she is not too worried about the lower numbers and thinks it is a matter of timing as people have most likely been storing batteries during the pandemic.
Call2Recycle used that time to encourage and educate people on how to store batteries properly, as well as increase the number of drop-off locations on the Island.
"We took the opportunity to grow some collection points, even if the activity wasn't there," Bérubé said, adding P.E.I. libraries all now act as drop-off sites for used batteries.
She said that will better position them for all the batteries they expect to collect in 2021.
Storing Batteries
Myers and Bérubé said safe storage of used batteries is the first step to ensuring they don't cause issues in the home.
"That's extremely important because they do have high energy components and even used batteries — if they come into connection with another battery or maybe a metal object — they may still have enough energy in them to cause a spark and potentially a fire," Myers said.
She recommends making sure nothing metal touches the posts — either by storing them in the container they came in, plastic bags or by wrapping tape around the terminals.
Used batteries should only be stored in plastic or glass containers, never metal.
Drop-off in special locations
Drop-off locations on the Island include places like grocery stores, libraries, waste watch centres — and for people in Charlottetown, a place within city hall.
Myers said it is very important that batteries are recycled the proper way and don't end up in landfills or compost sites where they could do damage to the ecosystem.
If people have any questions about any of the materials for recycling and waste on P.E.I. they can go to Island Waste Management Corporation's website.
For the list of drop-off locations for household batteries go to the Call2Recycle website and enter an area code for the closest ones.
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