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DRIVEN TO RECYCLE: CAA NORTH & EAST ONTARIO'S 2012 GREAT BATTERY ROUNDUP

This spring, CAA North & East Ontario (CAANEO) would like to give you a hand with your spring cleaning - by helping to dispose of your old automotive and marine batteries in a safe and environmentally sensitive manner.

Our annual Great Battery Roundup starts Saturday, May 26th and ends Saturday, June 2nd, 2012.

In Ottawa and Thunder Bay, simply call CAANEO and we'll come pick up your battery for you at no charge. Drop-off locations have also been coordinated in nine other municipalities across our territory.

For more information, please see below.

Special Events:

The annual Great Battery Roundup campaign is designated to encourage motorists to recycle their derelict automotive lead-acid batteries in safe and environmentally friendly manner. Appreciating the fact that automotive batteries contain dangerous chemicals that can have a negative impact on the environment, CAA collects the old batteries in order for them to be safely recycled and formed into new batteries. Additionally, CAA donates all of the recycling proceeds to various environmental groups. This campaign reiterates CAA North & East Ontario's commitment towards promoting environmentally-responsible programs for motorists.

Please feel free to visit the Kanata and Thunder Bay CAANEO Travel Stores on May 26th in order to drop-off your derelict car/marine batteries, have your vehicle's battery tested for FREE and have any automotive questions addressed by one of CAANEO's automotive experts.

*Additionally, CAANEO will be distributing FREE CAANEO tire gauges, CAANEO recyclable/reusable bags, and Tim Hortons/CAANEO 'green' travel mugs, as a token of our appreciation for doing your part to help the environment.

*(Limited one per customer - while supplies last)

**Also, CAANEO Members who drop-off a used automotive/marine battery on May 26th at our Kanata and Thunder Bay Travel Stores will receive 10 CAA Dollars®.

**CONDITIONS & RESTRICTIONS:
Limit of 10 CAA Dollars per membership. Allow up to 10 days for the CAA Dollars to be credited to the CAA Membership account. You can redeem your CAA Dollars on travel merchandise in our Travel Stores. The Great Battery Roundup form must be filled out in its entirety to receive the CAA Dollars.

Great Battery Roundup Quick Facts

• About 9 million automotive lead/acid batteries are sold each year in Canada. However, an estimated half-million batteries are not recycled each year.
• An automotive battery, also referred to as a lead/acid battery, is a wet cell battery, which contains about 10 kilograms of lead, 2 kilograms of plastic and three liters of sulfuric acid. When a spent battery is recycled, all of these elements can be reclaimed and reused in new batteries.
• The lead/acid battery industry was an early innovator of "closed loop" recycling and remains a leader in this efficient, economical process. Closed loop recycling reclaims the materials from spent products and uses the reclaimed materials in the production of new products.
• Lead/acid batteries have three major components: lead, acid and plastic. When a battery is recycled, here's what happens to all three materials:
  
  • 100 percent of the lead in an automotive battery can be reclaimed and used to manufacture a new battery. The lead is recycled and reused indefinitely.
  • The sulfuric acid can be recycled and used in new batteries; it can be neutralized, purified and tested before being released as clean water; or it can be converted to sodium sulfate, a product used in fertilizer, dyes and other products.
  • Most battery cases are black because the cases have been made from plastic recycled from spent battery cases. When various colors are melted together, they become black.
  
  
• Lead/acid batteries are considered to be hazardous material.
• Lead/acid batteries are essentially boxed electricity, and proper handling is important because batteries may cause injuries. Because they can emit hydrogen gas, one should never smoke near a battery or expose it to an open flame; and anyone handling a battery should wear protective eyewear and gloves. Hospital emergency rooms treat many consumers each year for injuries caused by battery explosions, chemical burns, and electrical shock from battery cables or posts.
• Recycling spent car batteries protects the environment and also reclaims valuable lead and plastic for manufacturing, saving energy and money on raw materials.

• CAA
• North & East Ontario
• P.O.Box 8350 STN T CSC
• Ottawa, Ontario, K1G 3T2
• Telephone: 613 820 1890
• Fax: 613 820 4646