CAA North & East Ontario is Charged Up to Recycle with Great Battery Roundup

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 24, 2013) - Want to get a jump start on your spring cleaning? CAA North & East Ontario (CAANEO) is once again offering individuals an opportunity to dispose of their old automotive and marine batteries in an environmentally-friendly manner with the annual Great Battery Roundup campaign.

Starting Monday, May 27 and continuing until Friday, June 7, pick-up service and drop-off locations will be provided for old and unused batteries in several municipalities throughout North and East Ontario.

Automotive batteries, also known as lead/acid batteries, contain 10 kilograms of lead, three litres of sulfuric acid, and a plastic case. More than 98% of these materials can be recycled and used to create new batteries. CAA North & East Ontario will ship all collected batteries to an appropriate recycling facility for processing.

"Storing unused vehicle batteries can pose a serious health and safety risk to people, animals and the environment, which is why CAA North & East Ontario encourages individuals to dispose of their unused batteries in an environmentally responsible manner," said Korey Kennedy, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for CAANEO.

The Great Battery Roundup is free to all CAA Members, the general public and businesses. In Ottawa and Thunder Bay, simply call 613-820-1400 or 1-800-CAA-HELP to have your old automotive batteries picked up at no charge. In Coniston, Sudbury, Dryden, Timmins, Parry Sound, North Bay, Pembroke, Renfrew, Kemptville and Cornwall, find a location to drop-off your unwanted automotive batteries by visiting www.caaneo.ca/gbr.

Prior to the campaign's kick-off, CAANEO will be hosting a special Great Battery Roundup event on May 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Individuals are invited to stop by the CAA Member Experience Centre in Orleans (2026 Tenth Line Road) to drop off their old automotive and marine batteries, as well as have their vehicle's battery tested for free and any automotive questions addressed by a CAA Automotive Expert.

For every battery collected through the Great Battery Roundup, CAANEO will donate funds towards a community tree planting event with Trees Ontario (www.treesontario.ca), who are aiming to plant 10 million trees a year by 2015.

CAANEO reminds individuals of the dangers that can stem from handling an automotive battery. Take care to protect yourself by wearing gloves, long sleeves and safety glasses, and ensure batteries remain upright and in a plastic, leak-proof container during transport. Keep sparks and flames, including cigarettes, away from batteries at all times as this could cause them to explode.

CAA North & East Ontario provides emergency roadside assistance to Members, along with an extensive array of travel and insurance services designed to suit the individual needs, wants and expectations of our Members. Detailed information on the wide range of services and offerings available with CAA North & East Ontario can be found at www.caaneo.ca.