America Recycles, Why Not Rayovac?

By Andrew Dobbs, Texas 

Campaign for the Environment

Today, November 15, is America Recycles Day. While most of us have access to good curbside or drop off recycling, and many states now require computer and TV makers to take back and recycle used electronics, inside much of our e-waste are single-use batteries–and unfortunately, there is still no take-back program for those batteries.

One company is the main obstacle to moving forward on battery recycling – Rayovac. That’s why recycling advocates across the country are using this America Recycles Day to tell Rayovac that it’s time to Take ‘Em Back!

Rayovac actually has the audacity to tell US consumers to throw batteries in the trash while telling European customers that this is harmful to the environment. The four major battery makers were all set to begin a national recycling program for single-use batteries two years ago until Rayovac backed out. Energizer, Duracell and Panasonic are all on board. So it’s up to all of us to tell Rayovac: America Recycles, Why Not Rayovac?

Take time this week of America Recycles Day to send messages to Rayovac and let them know it’s time to change.

1.      Tweet at @Rayovac that you want recycling here in the US just like they get in Europe and elsewhere. Use the hashtags #AmericaReyclesDay and #takeitbackrayovac, and retweet our messages on this topic. 

2.      Go “Like” Rayovac on Facebook and post a message or a comment on their page telling them that they need to stop lagging on recycling.  They are erasing consumer messages critical of the company, so make sure you also post to your own timeline, highlighting @Rayovac so that they’ll know that the public is hearing all about their failures to lead.

Here are some ideas of what to tell them:

·  America Recycles, Why Not Rayovac?

·  We won’t accept your double standards. It’s time to provide Americans with battery recycling like in Canada and Europe.

·  Energizer, Duracell and Panasonic all support battery recycling. Why not Rayovac?

·  Why do you offer battery recycling in other countries, but not in the U.S.?

·  Why do you tell your customers in Europe that throwing away batteries can harm the environment, but tell Americans that it’s safe to throw them away?

·  Thousands of consumers have asked you to step up and offer real recycling for your products: when will you act?

·  As the holiday buying season approaches, I will be taking Rayovac’s record on recycling into consideration when choosing which batteries to buy for my family.

Ten years ago computer and TV makers were dead set against providing real recycling to their consumers.  Now, a decade later these companies provide this service and are committed to recycling. With your help we hope to turn Rayovac in the same direction so that all of us might have convenient access to recycling for all of our products.  Thanks, and Happy America Recycles Day!