The RAC’s first battery recycling day, held on May 3, has been a huge success. West Australians dropped off 1,476 old batteries to RAC Service Centres on the day.
The RAC has committed to donate $10 for every member battery and $5 for every non-member battery to Bush Heritage Australia.
Because of the high number of batteries received, the RAC can now donate more than $12,000 to Bush Heritage Australia. The money will go towards conservation efforts in the
Charles Darwin Reserve, which is a 68,000 hectare area located four hours north-east of Perth.
RAC Batteries Product Manager, Steve Buttery, said he was pleased so many West Australians went to the effort of turning in their dead batteries for recycling.
“We were overwhelmed by the number of batteries coming into the Service Centres, particularly given this was the first time a battery recycling day had happened in WA,” he said.
“It’s great to have nearly fifteen hundred batteries out of backyards and sheds where they pose a huge environmental and safety hazard.”
The donated batteries have been removed from the Service Centres and will be safely recycled. The parts will be used to make new batteries. About 96 per cent of each battery is recyclable and a staggering 8kg of lead is extracted from a single automotive battery during recycling.
“The RAC estimates there could be about 40,000 old batteries discarded across WA, and we now hope to make the battery recycling day a regular event so we can recycle as many as possible,” Steve said.
The RAC held the day because it was concerned about the number of discarded car batteries stored in Western Australian garages, sheds and back yards and the potential hazard they pose to the environment. Eight RAC Service Centres in the Metropolitan area, including one in Mandurah, opened their doors on the day to take in the thousands of batteries.
Bush Heritage Australia said the donated money was a valuable contribution to conservation efforts.
Battery handling - Important Safety Tips:
1. Keep children well away from the battery during the handling process.
2. Wear gloves and safety glasses while handling batteries.
3. Keep batteries in an upright position and place in a sturdy container for transporting.
4. Switch off your car engine while unloading.
5. Avoid smoking near or exposing batteries to an open flame.
