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Upcoming battery collection helps keep community, environment safe: Region

April 7, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By ROB PAUL

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Disposing of batteries safely can be a hassle, but the dangers of putting batteries into the regular garbage or recycling are too risky.

That’s why it is imperative communities take the hassle and risk out of the equation by providing free battery collection days.

The Region of Peel will have a battery collection period from April 12 to 23 where residents can put all single-use and rechargeable batteries out for collection.

Residents are encouraged to check peelregion.ca/waste to find their pickup day or sign up to receive free waste collection reminders.

This collection service provides residents a convenient way to ensure that their batteries are disposed of safely. 

When residents put their batteries out for collection, they’re asked to place out all single-use and rechargeable batteries that weigh less than 11 pounds. Sealed lead acid and car batteries are not accepted at the curb—take them to a Peel Community Recycling Centre (CRC) for safe disposal. 

On recycling collection day, residents must place the bag of batteries on top of their closed green bin. If you they don’t have a green bin, they must place their bag of batteries beside their recycling bags. Residents can drop off all other batteries at any CRC year-round free of charge.

If batteries are improperly disposed of, they can leak harmful metals—nickels, cadmium, lithium—which contaminate local soils, groundwater, and streams. If batteries are destroyed, they can release toxic gases containing heavy metals into the atmosphere.

The importance of proper recycling of batteries is essential towards creating a safe and healthy community and the Region of Peel is working to make an environmental difference by providing a free battery collection pickup to all residents and they hope everybody takes advantage of the service.

“We want residents to know that batteries do not belong in the garbage or recycling,” said Region of Peel Waste Planning Manager Erwin Pascual. “Single-use and rechargeable batteries weighing less than five kilograms are collected at the curb twice a year in the spring and fall. 

“By participating in the Region’s battery collection program, residents are helping to create a safe and healthy community by supporting waste diversion, ensuring that the batteries do not end up in the landfill, and avoiding potential fire hazards in collection trucks, Peel’s sorting facility and at landfills. Through the battery collection program, we are giving residents a convenient way to ensure that their batteries are disposed of safely.

Thanks to residents’ efforts, the Region of Peel has recycled 104.2 tonnes of batteries since 2016, helping Peel get closer to its target of 75 per cent waste diversion by 2034.

The Region of Peel works with residents and partners to create a healthy, safe and connected Community for Life for approximately 1.5 million people and over 175,000 businesses in the cities of Brampton and Mississauga and the Town of Caledon.

For more information about the Region of Peel, explore peelregion.ca  and follow them on social media, Twitter @regionofpeel and Instagram @peelregion.ca.



         

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