Community Corner

Buckets Help Put Batteries in the Right Hands

The county will distribute the hazardous-waste containers through Saturday.

Through Saturday, county residents can receive a free bucket to dispose of dead batteries when they bring any hazardous household waste to the collection center in San Juan Capistrano. It’s part of a celebration of Earth Day, which is Friday.

The buckets can hold up to a gallon of batteries, which are considered hazardous waste, said Julie Chay, spokeswoman for O.C. Waste and Recycling. “We all have gobs of batteries, particularly if you have children with their toys,” Chay said. “Batteries are in every single home and in every single device we carry in our pockets and purses.” 

The bucket is part of the household “infrastructure,” like recycling bins, that help waste go to its proper places, she said. If batteries can be collected somewhere, it helps eliminate the problem of people throwing them into the trash. 

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Batteries are a particular problem when they go into landfills, because they can leach battery acid, and heavy metals can contaminate soil. 

The program started last year. The county intends to distribute 1,200 buckets this year. 

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Though the bucket is intended for batteries, other items that can fit into it, such as compact fluorescent lightbulbs, can also go in, Chay said. Once the buckets are full, residents need to take them to the hazardous-waste center, at 32250 La Pata Ave. It is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. 

A list of hazardous waste accepted by the collection center can be found here.


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