Call2Recycle Recognizes King County's Efforts
Call2Recycle(r), a rechargeable battery and cell phone recycling program, has recognized King County Solid Waste Division in Washington with a 2008 "National Recycling Leadership Award."
A participant in Call2Recycle since 2003, King County Solid Waste Division has recycled more than 33,000 pounds of rechargeable batteries through the program, with more than 8,000 pounds collected in 2008 alone. The award was presented on Nov. 4 to Jeff Gaisford, Recycling & Environmental Services manager, King County Solid Waste Division.
"Call2Recycle provides a much-needed community resource for the proper disposal of rechargeable batteries and cell phones," said Gaisford. "Local residents want to do the right thing when it comes to getting rid of household waste, and this makes it very easy for them to do so. It is an honor to be recognized by the program for our efforts, and we will continue to promote Call2Recycle in the hopes of increasing community participation and recycling more rechargeable batteries."
King County's recycling program is supported by a household hazardous waste facility that is open six days a week, as well as a "Wastemobile" that operates from March to October and serves 31 locations around the county. The county's "Wastemobile" was the first program of its kind in the nation, and it has served more than 287,000 King County residents in nearly 20 years of operation.
The Solid Waste Division sponsors recycling collection events in the summer and fall, which are promoted on the county's Web site, city Web sites, and through direct mailing. Recycling awareness and community involvement in the program are promoted through an EcoConsumer campaign on division's Web site. One of the most popular and frequently visited sections of the site is a function that allows visitors to search for disposal locations for various household items, including rechargeable batteries.
"King County Solid Waste Division has done an excellent job of raising awareness of the importance and accessibility of recycling rechargeable batteries," said Linda Gabor, director of Recycling, RBRC. "Their regular collection events are supported with online components to engage residents and encourage them to recycle -- and the collection results from this past year truly back up these efforts!"
Administered by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), Call2Recycle provides a convenient way to collect and recycle the used rechargeable batteries found in cordless electronic products, such as cell phones, digital cameras, laptop computers, cordless power tools, two-way radios, cordless phones, PDAs, and camcorders.