Spring is here so it’s time to get your spring cleaning on. My family and I tackled our house a few weekends ago. I assigned everyone in the family some tasks within their ability and we finished in record time.

One of the things we did was clean out the bathroom cupboards and junk drawers, throwing out old products, half used lotions and dried out markers from the craft cupboard.

In my junk drawer were plenty of new and used batteries. I’ll be honest I had no idea what to do with the used ones, but my husband would not let me just throw them out so we set them aside.

Did you know that used batteries and cellphones can be recycled? I didn’t! They can actually be recycled into new batteries, metal alloys and stainless steel products (like golf clubs). So save them from a landfill and recycle your old phones and used batteries. You can even win a cash prize with Call2Recycle by sharing your recycling story.

How to Participate

– Leap into Action!

Step 1: Gather your used batteries

Step 2: Find a drop-off location at call2recycle.ca/locator

Step 3: Until May 31, send your recycling stories and pictures to Call2Recycle for a chance to win cash prizes.

Here is the Contest Entry page.

As you jump on board the battery recycling train, it’s important to make sure you are being safe and responsible while doing so. Included below are a handful of battery safety tips:

Responsible Battery Recycling:

·       What batteries should be bagged?

o   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 they are shipped*. Other battery types do not need to be individually bagged. If you are not sure what chemistry your battery is, then please bag it to be on the safe side.

o   *See below for images of these batteries.

·       What do I do with powdery batteries?

o   Most likely batteries with powdery substance on or around them are regular alkaline batteries so not really a hazard. However, to be safe, kindly bag each of these batteries with powder on them individually as not to contaminate other batteries in the boxes.  It avoids a mess in shipping and when the boxes are sorted. Or bring them to your municipal hazardous waste facility or contact them directly.

·       How do you recycle button cell lithium batteries?

o   Button cell lithium batteries MUST have their battery terminals covered BEFORE placing them in the box for shipping.

o   The best way to do this is by taking a strip of tape to make a ‘battery ribbon’.

§  Place it sticky side up on the table

§  Put button cell batteries on the sticky tape (give about an inch between them)

§  Then take another strip of tape, the same size as the other on the table

§  Place the other strip of tape, sticky side down to cover the batteries on the other side of the tape

·       What’s accepted and what’s not?

o   Call2Recycle collect and recycle all single-use and rechargeable batteries weighing less than 5 kg each and cellphones.  Visit call2recycle.ca to find a location near you.

o   Call2Recycle does not accept:

• Car batteries
• Wet cell Ni-Cd, Wet cell lead acid vehicle batteries
• Visibly or known to be damaged batteries (leaking, cracked case)
• Cellphone chargers or accessories

Here are some images of the different battery types to help you:

Enter to win! …

Here is the Contest Entry page.

*Images: Shutterstock / call2recycle

*Sponsored by call2recycle