Environment

Republic Services Makes Disposing of Batteries and Bulbs Effortless

Mar 13, 2017 4:05 PM ET

When setting your clocks forward for Daylight Savings, remember to change those batteries in your smoke detectors and light bulbs that need replacing. 

Daylight Savings is a smart time for businesses to replace batteries in fire alarms, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as replacing fluorescent light bulbs and lighting ballasts. Republic Services offers two simple solutions for businesses to discard items that contain mercury, lead or other hazardous materials that should not be thrown away with regular waste.

Universal waste items like batteries, light bulbs and lighting ballasts can contain chemicals or potentially harmful materials like lead or mercury. When disposed of improperly, these items can present environmental and human health risks. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designates universal waste items as hazardous waste, and certain state and local governments have additional compliance requirements for the disposal of universal waste items. Because of these regulations and environmental threats, universal waste needs to be managed with care in accordance with government regulations.

Republic Services offers businesses two simple solutions for the responsible management of universal waste items, as well as compliance with regulatory requirements:

Mail Back Kits: designed for businesses with smaller quantities of universal waste items. How it works:

·         Receive prepaid, pre-addressed mail-back kits, government-certified tri-layer packaging to ensure safe shipping;

·         Pack your universal waste items in the provided mail-back kits;

·         Ship back all packed universal waste material; and

·         Receive a Certificate of Recycling to validate regulatory compliance.

Pack-Up & Pick-Up: customized for businesses with larger quantities of universal waste items. How it works:

·         Receive a proposal for approval based on your universal waste generation;

·         Schedule a pickup date and time that’s convenient for you;

·         Prepare and package your universal waste prior to pick up;

·         Load your packaged materials onto our trucks;

·         Your packaged universal waste is transferred to the nearest facility for proper recycling; and

·         Receive a Certificate of Recycling to validate regulatory compliance.

Whenever possible, universal waste items can be repurposed into new materials. According to the EPA, newly manufactured batteries are made from as much as 80 percent recycled materials. In addition, according to Fresh Energy, a Minnesota-based not-for-profit environmental policy organization, more than 95 percent of an LED light bulb can be recycled. 

Learn more about how Republic Services can help your businesses manage its universal waste needs at: https://www.republicservices.com/businesses/universal-waste.