The New York Department of Environmental Conservation has named Call2Recycle the first battery recycling plan under the New York State Rechargeable Battery Act. Call2Recycle is a no-cost battery and cellphone collection program.
The act, signed into law in December of 2010, requires manufacturers of select rechargeable batteries to collect and recycle the batteries statewide in a manufacturer-funded program that costs consumers nothing. On behalf of its more than 200 industry stewards, Call2Recycle submitted a battery management plan, which has been approved by New York State. The plan ensures complete compliance for all active Call2Recycle industry stewards.
Under the law, manufacturers of covered rechargeable batteries or groups of collaborating manufacturers will be responsible for financing the collection and recycling of the batteries, advertising their program to consumers, and reporting on the progress of their programs.
Retailers that sell covered rechargeable batteries are required to accept used rechargeable batteries from consumers during normal business hours and must post signs informing consumers about these requirements. Retailers must accept up to ten batteries per day from any person regardless of whether such person purchases replacement batteries.
The 209,000 square foot, state-of-the-art processing center is expected to facilitate the recycling of rechargeable batteries and cellphones collected from the western half of the country, estimated to be approximately 20 percent of the batteries Call2Recycle collects in the US. In 2012, Call2Recycle diverted 10 million pounds of used batteries from the waste stream.