School Dry-cell Battery Collection Program

Dry cell batteries are those batteries that we use in every day items such as radios, cameras, and children’s toys. 

When batteries are landfilled, their casings disintegrate and metals and chemicals used within the battery can leach into the surrounding environment. 

In order to prevent this happening, EMRC has developed a primary school collection program to capture batteries from the household waste stream, ensuring disposal does not damage our sensitive environment.

---

Resource Recovery

EMRC services the waste management needs of the six councils of Perth’s eastern region (Town of Bassendean, Cities of Belmont and Bayswater, Shires of Kalamunda and Mundaring and the City of Swan) through operation of the Red Hill Waste Management Facility. 

EMRC is currently assessing a number of alternatives to landfill called resource recovery that provide more sustainable ways to make resources out of waste.

For a Resource Recovery Facility to work most effectively, contaminants such as batteries and other household hazardous wastes must be diverted from the waste stream and properly disposed.

---

No More Concrete - We Recycle our Batteries

Traditionally, the EMRC has had to concrete encapsulate dry cell batteries inside large drums before placing them into specially designed landfill cells to be managed over time.

We are very pleased to announce that the dry cell batteries collected in our program will now be sent to New South Wales to be recycled. AusZinc, a producer of metals and alloys, are piloting this battery recycling program.

Steel, zinc and manganese are recycled from the everyday alkaline battery. The steel goes to Bluescope Steel to make new products such as rain water tanks. Zinc is used for galvanizing products such as light posts found on street corners. Manganese is used for making new batteries and steel alloys.

Recycling our household batteries means that we are helping our planet by saving valuable natural resources. 

---

New! Grant Awarded in February 2009 to Expand Dry-Cell Battery Recycling across Perth

The EMRC, in partnership with the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council and with the support of all metropolitan regional councils, have been successful in securing a grant for over $80,000 to collect and recycle used household batteries (dry-cell batteries).

It is estimated that WA throws away over 16 million household batteries to landfill every year. The program aims to establish household battery collection and recycling across the Perth metropolitan area and the State. Battery bins will be placed in over 150 convenient locations across Perth for residents to take advantage of and utilize, in turn reducing the volume of batteries going to landfill and other waste treatment facilities.

---

Educating students about batteries?

 

Over 40 schools in Perth’s Eastern Region belong to the EMRC battery recycling program. Students bring in old batteries from home, the EMRC then collects and transports the battery to the recycling centre.

The program is offered free of charge to schools located in the EMRC council areas of Bassendean, Bayswater, Belmont, Kalamunda, Mundaring and Swan.

 

---

How does the school battery collection program work?

Jordan Pierre and Brijette York, Year 2, Room 23, Bayswater Primary School.

The school battery recycling program operates with two options: as a ‘collection only’ service and as a friendly interschool competition, which has proven to be a strong motivator in encouraging school battery collection.

The competition program may be structured in a way that is suitable for your individual school; however, the materials provided are based in the following suggested format:

A competition start up kit will be provided to the school. One teacher and class is to be nominated as the “Leaders of the Program”. They will be in charge of collecting and weighing batteries. The Leaders are responsible for monitoring and promoting the program within the school and at home to parents. Batteries are collected and weights are recorded on a tracking form and faxed to the EMRC at the end of each term.

If your school faxes through data at the end of each term, your school will receive $150.00 worth of prizes to use as incentives to encourage and remind students to keep bringing in their used batteries.

Your school may choose to use the program as a "collection only" service for students and parents to dispose of their household batteries. A battery recycling bin will be provided to the school but batteries do not need to be weighed or recorded.

 

---

 Registration

If you are a primary school in the eastern region and are interested in this program, please download and print the form provided below and fax back to the EMRC Waste Education Officer on (08) 9277 7598.

For schools which do not fall in the eastern region please call your local council or regional council to see if a similar program is running.

  Brochure - EMRC School's Dry Cell Battery Collection Program Information.pdf (330.72 kb)
Reference No: EMRC-101063
NOTE: Please right-click on the link and choose 'Save Target As'.

This program is offered only to Primary Schools in Perth's Eastern Region.

---

Start up kit

Each school is provided with the following materials to run the competition:

• Plastic Battery Collection Containers - 1 x 2ltr container per classroom. Students drop off their used batteries into this container.
  
• 1 x 30L collection bin - to be used as the main collection bin for the school. Smaller containers once weighed can be emptied into this bin for collection. 
  
• Data Tracking form - fill out at the end of each term & fax back to EMRC.
  
• 1 x Bathroom Scales - used to weigh individual classroom's batteries.
  
• 4 x Certificates - to be used as incentives for classrooms which collect the most batteries by weight each term.
  
• R Gang posters, stickers & tattoos, puzzles and word finders.

---

Let's talk about batteries

New and existing schools have the opportunity to have the EMRC Waste Education Officer give a brief talk to your school about the battery collection program and its benefits to the environment. Students and teachers will learn more about what happens to their recycled batteries.

---

Battery collection

EMRC's battery collector will come to your school to pick up your dry cell batteries. If the battery bags are at least 1/2 full call the EMRC to confirm a collection.

Phone: 9424 2271
Email: tania.wells@emrc.org.au

Please note:

Put smaller batteries such as watch batteries and AAA batteries into a bag or container before placing them into your battery bin.

Please ensure that your battery bin is placed next to the front door during the collection week to minimise disruption to your class or office area.

Place mobile phones and their batteries in a seperate bag for collection.

---

Battle of the batteries – 2008 winners & runners up

Greenmount Primary School - Winners
Congratulations go to Greenmount Primary School for winning the 2008 school battery collection competition, collecting nearly 1 tonne of household batteries. Special thanks to Ms Jenny Collins for starting up and supporting the program and Mr Justin Mills for taking over this year.

Bayswater Primary School - Runner Up
An excellent effort was also made by Greenmount Primary School who came in runner up, collecting over 560 kilograms of batteries. Special thanks to Mrs Alison Ruhen for her help and support in coordinating the program for the school and to Ms Zena Saseski for taking over this year.

It was a very tight competition last year, congratulations to all schools who participated. Over 4 tonnes of batteries were collected for recycling.

---

Mobile Muster - bring in your old mobile phones

We have joined forces with Mobile Muster to offer participating battery collection schools a chance to dispose of old mobile phones. To take advantage of this, please let students and parents know that they can bring in their old mobile phones, batteries included. You may want to advertise this in your next school newsletter or on your school's website.

Keep them separate

It's important that the mobile phones and accessories are kept separate from the dry cell batteries as they are sent to different recycling plants for processing.  KEEP MOBILE PARTS IN A SEPARATE BAG OR BOX. When your batteries require collection, our battery collector will take the mobile phones as well.

EMRC – Winners of Mobile Muster Working with Schools Award 2009!

Thanks to the active participation of schools in Perth’s Eastern Region, the EMRC has won a national award for its work with schools in encouraging the collection of mobile phones and batteries. For more promotional information about MobileMuster please download the document below.

  Mobile Muster - Information for Schools.pdf (19.72 kb)
Reference No: EMRC-77561
NOTE: Please right-click on the link and choose 'Save Target As'.