Boston, MA 04/25/2014 (wallstreetpr) – Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) has managed to reach a rare milestone in the world with regard to corporate sustainability. The company has more than 1,800 stores that are collecting rechargeable batteries from customers. North America’s biggest, besides also being the first, battery product stewardship program – Call2Recycle, has recently announced that ever since Lowe joined their program, it has recycled more than 3 million pounds of batteries.
The success story
Lowe, which happens to be a home improvement company, started working with Call2Recycle in 2004, starting to collect rechargeable batteries. Almost six years later, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) started to add a recycling center, the first-of-a-kind, near entrances of stores to increase collection of batteries. They also offered customers free and easy way to discharge of cell phone batteries, CFLs and plastic bags; especially materials that could be of potential harm to the environment.
Every year, Lowe has looked to increase customer participation and volume of rechargeable batteries it collects. They have also largely delivered. In 2013, it collected more than 578,000 pounds of such batteries. This was the largest one year total during the partnership and was also a massive 50% increase over its previous collection.
Carl Smith, president and CEO of Call2Recycle Inc. said that Lowe’s efforts were very good examples of recycling practices in the retail sector. An increase in the amount of batteries collected year-over-year were prime examples of how customers were opting to recycle.
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)’s director of sustainability, Michael Chenard, said that recycling of rechargeable batteries was the right and easy way to reduce environmental damage. Lowe would also continue its present partnership and look to inspire others, who may be interested in doing so.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, roughly 350 million rechargeable batteries are bought every year in the U.S. These batteries are used to power many cell phones, laptops, and other electronic items. Therefore, it is certain that the use of such batteries is on the rise. In fact, using these batteries diverts harmful materials that would otherwise be dumped in landfills.
Call2Recycle has more than 34,000 collection sites around the U.S. and Canada and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
