The County of Simcoe diverted the most batteries from landfills province-wide in 2019.
According to a staff report received for information by County of Simcoe committee of the whole on Tuesday morning, the county not only had the highest battery diversion rate last year ever for the county, they also beat out other municipalities such as the Regions of Peel, Durham and Niagara.
“I just want to say, with all of our waste woes we’ve had this year, that this is the beacon, the shining-light program,” said Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin.
According to the staff report, the county’s 2019 collection resulted in a total of 28.32 tonnes of batteries collected, an increase of 9.8 per cent over the previous year. Results have continued to improve annually, with the 2019 tonnage being 57.9 per cent higher than the 2014 (Year 1) tonnage.
As reported by the battery processor Raw Materials Corporation, the county collected the highest tonnage compared to all other participating Ontario municipalities.
Funds for this program were included in the 2019 Solid Waste Management operational budget. Costs for the program totalled approximately $63,270 with the majority of costs ($55,445) being associated with the printing and distribution of the battery bags. Funding of $25,073 was received from the processor through the Orange Drop program, resulting in a net budget impact of approximately $38,197.
Another battery collection week is planned for November 2020.
