The North American product stewardship group Call2Recycle collected a program-best 12.6 million pounds of batteries in 2015, a 5 percent increase over previous-year figures.
According to a press release from the group, 7.1 million pounds of batteries were collected in the U.S., with California notching its fifth consecutive year of collecting over a million pounds.
“Strong retail and municipal presence in Canada fostered the rise of collections in most provinces,” collecting 5.5 million pounds of batteries in 2015, with a 36-percent increase totaling 1.4 million pounds coming from British Columbia alone.
More than 90 percent of U.S. and Canadian residents live within 10 miles of one of the group’s collection locations across North America. Currently, nearly 30,000 collection locations are established.
“Our battery recycling results are directly linked to the vital support of our program participants, consumers and key constituents,” said Carl Smith, CEO and president of Call2Recycle, Inc. “Without their environmental commitment, we would not be able to continue collecting.”