Glendora Takes Part in Battery Recycling Program

Residents can drop off their used household batteries and cell phones to 39 locations across the San Gabriel Valley, including Glendora, as part of a pilot recycling program.

Glendora residents can take their batteries to Mission Ace Hardware, 513 S. Glendora Avenue.

The program is coordinated through the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments who received a grant through the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to facilitate the program.

Batteries have been banned from California landfills since 2006 because they contain valuable metals such as zinc and cadmium, which are used to make various products such as electronics. Batteries are also believed to degrade soil and lead to groundwater contamination and other environmental hazards.

Residents can bring any household batteries – rechargeable or alkaline less than pounds – and cell phones to any of the 39 locations. Other acceptable items include old lithium cell phones, camera batteries and AAA-D batteries.

According to a survey conducted as part of the grant program, less than 60 percent of the public was aware that disposing batteries in the trash is prohibited.  About 56 percent of the public admitted they disposed of their batteries in the trash because legal disposal was not convenient.

For more information about the battery recycling program or to find a take- back location near you go to www.SGVCOG.org/batteryrecycling.