Can you believe it’s spring time already? As the sun beams through my windows daily onto a nice thick layer of winter dust, it reminds me again that the inevitable need to purge all the excess stuff I’ve collected over the past year has come around again. Time to do a massive declutter, garage sale, and start the deep pre-summer clean!
I’ll admit, I have a bit of a shame corner in my junk drawer. It’s where used batteries go to die… or at the very least, be forever forgotten about until I can no longer close that drawer and tackle a purge. Living with a construction worker and a 4-year-old has its challenges, I never really realized how many batteries we have been going through in our house. From our 5 TV remotes (Oh, I know…), to the array of kids toys that all come with loud battery operated noises, hubby’s work tools and head lamps, and of course my personal power banks, spare laptop batteries and more. And I hate to admit it… we never actually knew what to do with them when we were done. It wasn’t until I had been reading a story about batteries being stored incorrectly that I clued into how much of a hazard they can be if they are not disposed of properly. Not only for us, but also for the environment. Yikes.
With recycling campaigns readily available for paper, plastic and glass we were so surprised to learn that there is even one for batteries! Call2Recyclecollects and recycles batteries at locations across the country at absolutely no cost for consumers! And not just your TV remote batteries either, did you know that you can recycle power tool batteries, cell phones, laptop batteries and even your digital camera batteries? I was pretty impressed by the list of accepted batteries, they accept pretty much all single-use and rechargeable batteries up to 5kgs each!
Recycling your batteries doesn’t need to be another chore either, Call2Recycle has made it pretty easy to drop them off at locations you’re probably already either going to, or very near by. I shop at London Drugs at least twice a month, and I was happy to learn that there’s an additional 5 drop-off locations in my area. Convenience? Yes!
From now until May 31, grab your batteries, head in and snap a photo at one of the drop-off locations, or share your story online about how you’re recycling this year and you are entered to win – easy peasy. By sharing your story you will be entered to win one of eight gift cards valued at $100 each! Pretty nice gift, and a great time to restock on those batteries if you’re running low.
While recycling your batteries, be sure todo so properly and safely. Here are a few tips:
- Where should you look for batteries?
- Get furnaces and other natural gas appliances inspected – this is also the perfect time to get your duct cleaning done around the house, two birds, one tidy stone.
- Clear out store rooms and basements, remove old batteries from toys and games, back up the photos on those old cell-phones and let it gooo….
- Check batteries in carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms – these should be replaced every 6 months, a handy phone alarm or wall calendar is perfect for reminding yourself to check them when needed.
- What should you do with special batteries?
- It’s important to remember that some batteries require special care when being recycled –Lithium Ion (Li-Ion), Small Sealed Lead Acid (SSLA/Pb) rechargeable batteries and lithium primary batteries must be individually bagged or have their terminals covered with tape before you drop them off. Other batteries don’t need to be individually bagged, but if you are unsure of what type of battery you have it is best to bag it to be on the safe side.
Are you ready to join the contest? Details are included below. I’ve got my pile of batteries ready to go, and a huge storage room to tackle and purge this weekend. Be sure to follow us on Instagram as we head into our local Call2Recycle drop-off location, so you can see just how easy it is to keep batteries out of our landfills.
Contest Details:
Step 1: Gather your used batteries
Step 2: Find a drop-off location at call2recycle.ca/locator
Step 3: Send in your recycling stories and pictures for a chance to win cash prizes!
Sounds pretty easy right? And the perfect way to kick start your spring cleaning!
This contest runs from March 20, 2016 – May 31, 2016 so make sure to get those stories in for a chance to win.
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{Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, all opinions and junk drawer shame are our own.}
