THIS EARTH DAY, AAA, THE EPA AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY SPONSORED THE GREAT BATTERY ROUNDUP®
September 10, 2005—Last April, the Conservancy and the AAA New Jersey Automobile Club teamed up for conservation with the annual AAA Great Battery Roundup. Held during Earth Week, AAA and the Conservancy invited area residents to bring their old automotive and marine batteries to AAA offices and local participating Approved Auto Repair facilities for recycling. To bolster support, AAA donated $2.50 to the Conservancy for each battery collected during the roundup. The Club collected more than 125 batteries and donated $500 to the chapter.
With an estimated 248 million vehicles on the road in North America, the proper use and disposal of vehicle batteries, tires and various types of automotive fluids are crucial to a healthy environment.
Used lead-acid vehicle batteries often turn up in garages, backyards and storage sheds where they may be creating an environmental and safety hazard.
“AAA is on a mission to educate the public about the potential dangers of having old lead, acid batteries in our homes while also encouraging battery recycling, “ said Pam Fischer, the Club’s vice president of public affairs.
Some used batteries are illegally disposed of in dumps and water sources, but others are simply sitting in a forgotten corner of someone’s property where they could contaminate soil and ground water, explode in a fire or become a source of lead poisoning to humans and animals.
“The EPA applauds AAA’s efforts in helping to protect the environment by encouraging motorists to recycle their vehicle’s used batteries and other recyclable automotive-related products,” said Thomas Dunne, EPA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency. “By recycling these items, motorists can play a critical role in protecting our land, our sea and our air. I encourage all Americans to participate in the Great Battery Roundup on Earth Day!”
For every battery collected during the roundup, the AAA New Jersey Automobile Club donated $1 to the New Jersey Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.
"We’re delighted that AAA chose to support The Nature Conservancy as part of its annual AAA Battery Roundup," said Barbara Brummer, Ph.D., executive director of The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey. "We’re especially gratified that so many of our state's conservation minded citizens helped us celebrate Earth Week by helping protect our natural legacy for future generations."
The AAA New Jersey Automobile Club, through offices in Clark, Florham Park, Randolph, Springfield and West Orange, provides automotive, travel, insurance, financial, legislative and educational services to the residents of Essex, Morris and Union Counties.
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