Battery Recycling

Batteries contain metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium and nickel that can contaminate the environment, when improperly disposed in a landfill site.

In 2007 Calgary Transit used approximately 16,000 batteries. For a number of years, a Dry Cell Battery Recycling Containers has been in place and staff have been encouraged recycle all of their batteries. In the first year alone over 400 kg of batteries were collected and recycled.

The focus now is to reduce the overall consumption, with many of Calgary Transit sections standardizing on the size of batteries being used and moving towards using rechargeable batteries. By using rechargeable batteries it not only saves on consumption, but also on recycling costs and most importantly reduces the environmental impact associated with manufacturing of these batteries.

Battery Reduction

Minimizing the amount of products being purchased and therefore the waste generated, is one of the key goals of Calgary Transit’s EnviroSystem. Over the past few years, Calgary Transit has been working on a number of programs to reduce the consumption of common products used at work. One program has been to reduce the amount of common household batteries. With the help of staff from Fleet Maintenance, Facilities and Stores the reductions have been astonishing. By reviewing the battery consumption, reducing battery types and implementing rechargeable batteries Calgary Transit has seen an 85% reduction from 2009 and a 94% reduction since peak usage in 2007.