As daylight saving time ends Nov. 2 and Americans set their clocks back one hour, it’s a time when many diligent folks change the batteries in their home smoke detectors. And with plenty of holiday cooking around the corner, Waste Management of North County and Coast Waste Management uses the occasion to remind its communities that proper disposal and recycling of batteries is easy and the right thing to do.
“With that extra hour, you have the gift of time to ensure a safe and delicious holiday season” Lori Somers of Waste Management of North County and Coast Waste Management said. “It’s important to check your home smoke detection devices before the holiday cooking begins, and it’s just as important to properly handle and recycle batteries that are no longer in use.”
“Some types of batteries contain toxic constituents, such as mercury and cadmium,” Somers said. “Batteries do not belong in the trash.”
Many states have regulations in place requiring battery recycling. They can be brought to a sanctioned place and there are mail-in programs too.
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Waste Management of North County and Coast Waste Management offers residents of Oceanside, Carlsbad and Del Mar the convenience of recycling household batteries through curbside collection. In these cities, residents may safely recycle their batteries by placing them on top of their recycling cart inside sealed clear storage bags.
Residents may also recycle batteries by dropping them off at the two Waste Management Recycling Centers:
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· 2880 Industry Street, Oceanside
· 5960 El Camino Real, Carlsbad
Tuesday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. No appointment is required; however proof of residency is required. Used batteries accepted for collection are AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt, alkaline, rechargeable, lithium and coin cells, and small button-size.
For more information on batteries, including relevant legislation, industry initiatives and publications, folks can visit EPA’s Common Wastes and Materials Battery link. Batteries and smoke detectors should never be placed in a household recycling bin. In addition, smoke alarms and detectors contain small amounts of radioactive waste, and should only be handled by an electronics recycling plant. EPA has an informative section on smoke detectors on its Web site.
ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste Management, based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Our subsidiaries provide collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. We are the largest residential recycler and also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill-gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Our customers include residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more visit www.wm.com.
