12/03/2010 Eastern region primary schools battle it out

Greenmount Primary School has proven that hard work and determination does pay off by winning the EMRC's household battery recycling competition, by collecting over 750 kilograms of batteries in 2009.

Woodlupine Primary School in Kalamunda came second in the competition, collecting over 300 kilograms. The school battery recycling competition involves over 45 primary schools in Perth's Eastern Region.

The household battery recycling program is a service offered to eastern region primary schools by EMRC on behalf of its six member Councils - Town of Bassendean, City of Bayswater, City of Belmont, Shire of Kalamunda, Shire of Mundaring and the City of Swan.

EMRC Chairman, Cr Graham Pittaway OAM said "It is vital that we educate children how to correctly dispose of common household batteries in a safe way, so we can prevent them entering landfills and harming the environment."

Dry-cell batteries collected in the program will now be sent to New South Wales to be recycled by AusZinc, a producer of metals and alloys, who are piloting the battery recycling program.

Steel, zinc and manganese are recycled from the everyday alkaline batteries. Steel is turned into new products such as garage doors and car parts, zinc is used for galvanising products such as light posts found on street corners and manganese is used for making new batteries and steel alloys.

EMRC provides household battery recycling bins in all public libraries and several major shopping centres within Perth's Eastern Region and encourages residents to take their used household batteries to one of the drop off points for recycling.

For more information about EMRC's household battery recycling program please contact Tania Wells, Waste Education Officer on (08) 9424 2271 or email tania.wells@emrc.org.au or alternatively visit www.rgang.org.au.