Recycling group reports volunteers are swamped with used electronics; curbside pickup suggested
By Brooke Bryant
April 7, 2006
It seemed so simple.
When the state law forbidding people from tossing batteries in the trash went into effect Feb. 9, volunteers with the environmental group Sustainable Moraga set up collection buckets at local stores.
They figured they would empty them once a month or so, and do their bit to keep heavy metals like cadmium from leaching into landfills.
Two months later, they’ve collected 1,700 pounds of batteries, requiring several trips a week to the hazardous waste facility in Martinez, the closest drop-off point.
“We just really never expected that there would be so many,” said volunteer Marie Kahn.
This year, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs and cell phones joined other electronics on the state’s list of items banned from the trash can. Some have questioned the effectiveness of the new rules given that collection sites are few and far between — but the Martinez center is already reporting a marked increase in recycling of universal waste this year.
The facility received 2,276 pounds of household batteries in the first quarter last year, and 6,964 pounds in the same period this year, said Central Contra Costa Sanitary District spokeswoman Harriette Heibel. It also got 3,292 feet of fluorescent lights in the first quarter last year, and 22,771 feet this year.
The popularity of the Moraga project points to a need for professional pickup, volunteers say. That could be curbside pickup once a month or collection bins throughout the town that are emptied by professionals.
“This is not a job for amateurs, because there’s all manner of related issues,” Kahn said. Volunteers have found the buckets of batteries are heavy and difficult to lift if they get too full, meaning more frequent trips to empty them. Then there’s the law that prohibits people from driving with more than 125 pounds of hazardous waste in their cars.
Moraga isn’t the only community struggling to come up with solutions for battery recycling. Some groups sponsor e-waste recycling events, like the one held at Acalanes High School two weeks ago, Palo Alto recently agreed to start curbside recycling for batteries, and in late March the Orinda City Council agreed to ask the Central San to authorize the establishment of centralized drop off sites for batteries.
In Moraga, the group has set up buckets at stores like Orchard Supply Hardware, Ace Hardware and Longs, but by far the most popular drop-off site is Safeway. Members are looking for anyone who is willing to help collect the batteries and deliver them to the Martinez site.
“We definitely would love to have more people pitch in,” Kahn said. “We desperately need help doing this.”
The group is in the process of setting up a Web site, but in the meantime, Sustainable Moraga meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the meeting room at the Moraga Library, 1500 St. Marys Road.