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General Information about the Third National School Battery Collection Campaign
March - May 2011
This page contains the necessary information related to the Third National School Battery Collection Campaign by WasteServ Malta Ltd, which is being sponsored and supported by Duracell.
Aims of the campaign
Recent years have seen a growing awareness of batteries as a potential source of environmental pollution. Particularly, there is concern about the heavy metals and corrosive materials such as lead, cadmium, mercury, lithium and other chemical compounds found in batteries. The toxicity of these materials is well recognized, and the major environmental problem is associated with batteries used in consumer devices because they are most often discarded as part of general household waste. In fact, batteries can get wet, deteriorate and leach poisonous chemicals into the ground from where it can penetrate the water table and enter the food chain.
If handled inappropriately, lead-acid batteries too can pose many hazards to the environment. Battery components are toxic and corrosive, and can also be a fire and explosion hazard. If discarded in the environment, the outer casing corrodes and the toxic contents leak out into the environment. The soil becomes contaminated and rain water leaches out the contents. These may subsequently percolate to reach the ground water - a source of drinking water. Direct contact with sulphuric acid can burn the skin and eyes. Exposure to lead in the environment can pose a serious health hazard especially to children, who play with toys and games powered by batteries. The list goes on and on…
The use of batteries is continually on the rise. It is calculated that the average person owns about two button batteries, ten normal batteries and throws out about eight household batteries per year. That adds up to more than 3 million batteries being thrown away each year on the Maltese islands alone! It’s clear that the widespread use of batteries has created many concerns of toxic pollution and we need to do something about it!
What happens to batteries once they are collected?
Spent batteries are collected by WasteServ Malta Ltd. through designated bins, and are then sorted by type (for example button cells, batteries with lead, with alkaline and zinc-carbon, nickel-cadmium, lithium-ion and other types). These batteries are then stored responsibly until they are exported for eventual recycling.
The Third National School Battery Collection Campaign Rules
March - May 2011
This page contains the necessary information related to the Third National School Battery Collection Campaign by WasteServ Malta Ltd, which is being sponsored and supported by Duracell.
Aims of the campaign
Recent years have seen a growing awareness of batteries as a potential source of environmental pollution. Particularly, there is concern about the heavy metals and corrosive materials such as lead, cadmium, mercury, lithium and other chemical compounds found in batteries. The toxicity of these materials is well recognized, and the major environmental problem is associated with batteries used in consumer devices because they are most often discarded as part of general household waste. In fact, batteries can get wet, deteriorate and leach poisonous chemicals into the ground from where it can penetrate the water table and enter the food chain.
If handled inappropriately, lead-acid batteries too can pose many hazards to the environment. Battery components are toxic and corrosive, and can also be a fire and explosion hazard. If discarded in the environment, the outer casing corrodes and the toxic contents leak out into the environment. The soil becomes contaminated and rain water leaches out the contents. These may subsequently percolate to reach the ground water - a source of drinking water. Direct contact with sulphuric acid can burn the skin and eyes. Exposure to lead in the environment can pose a serious health hazard especially to children, who play with toys and games powered by batteries. The list goes on and on…
The use of batteries is continually on the rise. It is calculated that the average person owns about two button batteries, ten normal batteries and throws out about eight household batteries per year. That adds up to more than 3 million batteries being thrown away each year on the Maltese islands alone! It’s clear that the widespread use of batteries has created many concerns of toxic pollution and we need to do something about it!
What happens to batteries once they are collected?
Spent batteries are collected by WasteServ Malta Ltd. through designated bins, and are then sorted by type (for example button cells, batteries with lead, with alkaline and zinc-carbon, nickel-cadmium, lithium-ion and other types). These batteries are then stored responsibly until they are exported for eventual recycling.
The Third National School Battery Collection Campaign Rules
- The National School Battery Collection Campaign is aimed at all school children across the Maltese Islands from Year 1 in Primary Schools to Form 5 at Secondary School level. We will also extend the competition for the Post Secondary students.
- To participate, student’s this year will be given sticker labels where these can be stuck to any bag of their choice (paper or plastic) and write their contact details on this given sticker including the name, class, age, school, telephone number and number of batteries in the bag. This bag must be deposited in the designated bins in their school.
- WasteServ suggests that all bags should be adequately sealed using a stapler or tape before being deposited in the bin to avoid any contamination from batteries.
- Participants can fill as many bags as they like, as long as they have the label sticker clearly shown. The more batteries deposited, the greater their chances of winning one of the prizes.
- The closing date for depositing batteries is 2nd May 2011.
- After the closing date, winners will have the chance to win one Mac Book or one of the fifteen ipod shuffles or one of the four ipod touches.
- Each student has a chance of winning one prize only.
- The school collecting the largest amount of batteries by weight (per capita) will be the winner of a €2,500 grant to be employed to improve school facilities for the enjoyment by its students or alternatively invest these in renewable energy installations for the general benefit of the school and the environment.
- Winners will be advised by telephone and announced in the media and on the WasteServ website.
- Winners are only eligible to win one prize. If the same participant with multiple entries wins more than one prize, only the first prize adjudicated will be deemed as valid and the second prize will be redrawn.
- The lottery is covered with a license by the Lottery Gaming Authority DPL 12/2011.
- All decisions relating to the selection of the winners by the adjudicating committee will be deemed as final.