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Battery Recycling

22/3/2017

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Originally published Mar 15/17 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Recent studies show there are 100 batteries in the average Canadian household in remote controllers, watches, children’s toys, power tools, computers, alarm clocks and many other things.

Batteries are also used in industry and community infrastructure. For example, batteries provide phone service when the power is off
. 
There are three types of batteries.  Wet cell batteries are used mostly in vehicles. Dry cell and rechargeable batteries are most common in households and workplaces.

A chemical reaction inside batteries creates the power.  Chemicals include copper, cadmium, mercury, zinc, lead, nickel and lithium depending on the kind of battery.

Button batteries contain the most valuable materials. 

All batteries should be recycled to prevent these chemicals and metals from causing serious damage to the environment and human health.

The Flin Flon Recycling Centre began collecting dry cell and rechargeable batteries of all shapes and sizes for recycling in 2014. Vehicle batteries can be taken to local landfills where they are collected for recycling.

Batteries should be in a sealed bag or container when they are sent to the Recycling Centre so they can be separated from the other recyclables.

 The batteries are collected and shipped through the Call 2 Recycle program. This program is paid for by industry and a Environmental Handling Fee (EHF) that was added to household batteries February 1,2017.

Call 2 Recycle sends boxes and plastic bags as Li-Ion, SSLA/Pb and lithium primary batteries need to be shipped in separate bags according to Transport Canada rules to prevent fires. Button batteries are lithium and are placed between two pieces of tape.
Batteries are packed in the boxes and shipped.  

In 2016, the Recycling Centre shipped 354 kilograms of batteries for recycling.

Note: There are pictures of the battery recycling at the Recycling Centre on our facebook page 'Flin Flon Recycling'.

When I posted the pictures, someone asked where the batteries go. 

The batteries from Flin Flon are shipped to a sorting station in Hamilton, Ontario where they are sorted according to the kind they are - what metals/chemistry they have. They are then shipped to plants that can process the metals/chemicals in them. More info is available at www.cal2recycle.ca.  under the 'Why Recycle' tab.
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    Deb Odegaard has been with the Flin Flon Community Recycling program since it began  in 1992.  She  became the Administrator in 2013.
    Deb writes a  column 'The Recycling Bin' in The Reminder, Flin Flon's newspaper. Past columns are posted here along with recycling stats  and anything else on her mind. 

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