KFCG establishes community battery recycling program

FALLBROOK — Keep Fallbrook Clean and Green (KFCG) is about to establish a permanent process within the community for recycling household dry cell batteries, the type of battery used in flashlights, cameras, watches, children’s toys and many other similar items.

Thanks to the philanthropic generosity of the Angel Society of Fallbrook, the organizational efforts of KFCG and the operational expertise of the Fallbrook Public Utility District (FPUD), Fallbrook residents will now be able to drop off all types of dry cell batteries at a curbside container installed near the entryway to the FPUD office. There will also be three portable collection tubes installed at convenient locations around town so that residents, if they prefer, can recycle their household batteries as they go to the market, the hardware store or the library.

Keep Fallbrook Clean and Green and the Fallbrook Public Utility District plan to formally unveil the entire operation of the program within the next two to three weeks. The battery recycling program is a collaborative effort between the two agencies. KFCG obtained the funding for the program, purchased the equipment, established the program’s guidelines and is the program coordinator and administrative agent. FPUD is the operational agent for the program and will house the curbside collection bin, provide the manpower and equipment necessary to collect and store the batteries and prepare them for shipment to the recycling facility.

As a reminder to all residents, new state regulations on the disposal of hazardous waste prohibit the disposal of a long list of items with regular household trash. All chemicals, paints, oils, florescent lights, electronic equipment and household dry cell batteries – just to name a few – must now be recycled at special household hazardous waste facilities. If hazardous items are not recycled but instead mixed in with regular trash, they end up in the landfills, pollute the environment and pose serious health hazards for everyone.

With the establishment of this program, residents will no longer need to drive all the way to Ramona – the closest hazardous waste facility – to properly dispose of hazardous items or store their dry cell batteries and wait for the next household hazardous waste collection event. They will now be able to drop off their batteries in town at their convenience. KFCG is also investigating the possibility of establishing a local collection site for florescent lights and already sponsors an annual electronic waste event.