Since the beginning of April, students in Mr. Hogue’s Grade 5/6 class at Huntsville Public School started collecting batteries as part of their Conservation of Energy science curriculum. As a class we were learning what happens to our environment when batteries end up at landfill sites.

Our initial goal was to collect 150 batteries. At the end of the first week we had already collected over 600 batteries. Thanks to the class’ initiative and support from the school community, our class has collected close to 3,000 batteries at the time of the writing of this article.

We are collecting batteries to send them to the Household Hazardous Waste depot to be later recycled.

If we don’t do this, the dangerous chemicals and heavy metals such as copper, lead, mercury and cadmium will leak out into and poison our earth and water supply.

According to a Toronto Star article dated March 12, 2008, “household batteries make up 1 per cent of landfills in Ontario yet are responsible for 50- 70 per cent of heavy metals in landfills… 200,000 tonnes of batteries used in North America have enough corrosive waste to fill 10 Great Lakes freighters…540 g of batteries in an average home each year could be recycled for $2.”

We feel it is every person’s greatest responsibility to keep our earth and community as clean as it can be. We know we are a consumer society but let’s try to lesson the impact on our environment. If one school community can collect and recycle 3,000 batteries, just think what all of Huntsville can collect?

Mr. Hogue, along with parent volunteers, will be depositing the school’s collection on May 17 at the Household Hazardous Waste Depot at the Madill Church Works Yard. Please read your Town of Huntsville, District of Muskoka Garbage and Recycling Collection guide for more information regarding hazardous household waste and e-waste days.

We encourage you all to recycle your batteries as well.