WINNIPEG — Saturday marks National Battery Day in a move to raise awareness and remind Manitobans to properly recycle their batteries.
Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba (MMSM) has partnered with Call2Recycle in an effort to further educate the public on the importance of battery recycling.
According to Call2Recycle data, in 2022, Manitobans diverted more than 153,000 kilograms of batteries from the landfill. However, an Ipsos survey commissioned by Call2Recycle also showed that only half of Manitobans are recycling their household batteries.
MMSM says many batteries are being thrown into the garbage, which is hazardous for the environment, while others are ending up in recycling bins. Putting batteries in the blue bin can pose a danger to sorting staff and have the potential to start fires.
“Residents should only put accepted materials in their recycling bins. Batteries are not accepted in residential recycling programs and can cause challenges in material recovery facilities,” said Karen Melnychuk, executive director of MMSM. “Residents should take them to a drop-off location to be recycled.”
MMSM has developed the Recyclepedia — a web tool and free mobile app that tells you what can and can’t be recycled, and where to dispose of different materials. The Recyclepedia can be accessed by visiting SimplyRecycle.ca.
Fans attending the Manitoba Moose hockey game on February 23 will receive a “collection cube” to help them start collecting their used batteries at home.
