Battery Take Back Event Highlights & Initiative
On May 10th, the Forum hosted a battery take-back event at the Northtown Mall parking lot as part of an on-going battery education campaign that began during the holiday season. This spring, the campaign expanded its reach on lithium-ion battery use and disposal education by collaborating with Battery Smart Spokane to host this community-driven program providing residents with a convenient, drive-up opportunity to dispose of batteries of all kinds.
While the Battery Smart Spokane team coordinated all the details, the Forum purchased specially designed drum kits for collection. By the end of the day, three out of four 55-gallon drums were filled with a wide variety of batteries, including lithium-ion, radio control, alkaline, and even e-cigarette and vape batteries. It was great to see our community’s commitment to safe and sustainable waste disposal. Although this was a single-day effort, not to worry if you missed it – the initiative continues. Help us complete the drum set at the Spokane Valley Transfer Station by June 1st!
The ongoing campaign aims to raise awareness that safe battery disposal is readily available throughout the greater Spokane area, not only during special events but every day. Leveraging resources and tools, the Forum and its partners distributed a wide-reaching series of video and static advertisements across Google platforms, local news stations, and social media outreach to help drive public awareness about the dangers of improper battery disposal for our community and our water. We want everyone to know that all Spokane-area solid waste stations accept household battery drop-offs year-round, making it easy and convenient to dispose of batteries properly every day.
A special thank you goes to the Department of Ecology for funding the initiative, and to the City of Spokane, the Spokane County Regional Solid Waste team, and the Spokane Fire Department for their dedication in making this event and education campaign possible. Together, we have laid the foundation for future events and efforts to inspire public participation.
To be battery smart and know where to dispose all the time, check out Battery Smart Spokane and Spokanewastedirctory.org.
Photo credits: City of Spokane