Rechargeable Battery Recycling Shows Gains

Businesses, individuals and communities are demonstrating their willingness to go "green" by boosting the numbers of rechargeable batteries they turn in for recycling. According to the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. (RBRC), a non-profit organization that recycles rechargeable batteries, collection numbers for the first six months of 2003 have reached 2 million pounds. That's a 30% increase over the same time period in 2002. For all of 2002, the Atlanta-based organization collected nearly 3.4 million pounds of rechargeable batteries in the United States and Canada. "As the use of wireless products continues to grow, so do the number of rechargeable batteries that can and should be recycled," says Ralph Millard, executive vice president of RBRC. "This means that consumers, businesses, communities and public agencies are thinking greener and acting on it." Rechargeable batteries power numerous cordless electronic products, including cell and cordless phones, laptop computers and personal digital assistants. More than 3,700 organizations take part in the RBRC program in the U.S. and Canada.