2013 Ford Fusion Energi SEL plug-in hybrid. (Credit: Flickr @ mariordo59 https://www.flickr.com/photos/30998987@N03/)A recent consumer survey commissioned by Johnson Controls found that seven out of 10 Americans don’t know what to do with used car batteries.
With more than 2 million conventional batteries going unrecycled every year in the United States, Johnson Controls, an American company globally offering products and services to optimize energy and operational efficiencies of buildings, automotive batteries, electronics and interior systems for automobiles, is aiming to raise awareness about how to easily and safely recycle car batteries.
To assist consumers, the company has created www.recyclingmybattery.com, where people can enter their zip codes to find nearby battery recycling locations, such as retail stores.
“About 97 percent of car batteries are recycled each year in the U.S., and our vision is a world where we reach 100 percent,” said Ron Weller, global vice president and general manager of Components and Integrated Supply Chain at Johnson Controls Power Solutions. “Without batteries, the world would stand still. Johnson Controls wants to keep the world moving in a sustainable way—through recycling.”
A survey of 1,016 U.S. adults conducted in March of 2014 found significant misperceptions about battery recycling. Notable findings are summarized below:
Survey FindingReality
Two-thirds of Americans think that dead car batteries mostly sit in landfills and create a hazard.In the United States, 97% of car batteries are recycled.
71% of Americans think that car batteries can only be dropped off for recycling at special recycling centers.Used car batteries can be dropped off at a wide range of retail outlets and auto shops.
Consumers are four times more likely to believe that aluminum has a higher recyclability rate than car batteries.According to Battery Council International, 2012, car batteries have a higher rate of being recycled (97%) than aluminum cans (55%), paper (45%) and glass (26%).
One-third of Americans don’t know how much of a car battery is recyclable.Up to 99% of the components in a car battery are recyclable.
“Last year, Johnson Controls recycled the equivalent of 8,000 batteries every hour, keeping millions of batteries out of landfills,” said Weller. “As the manufacturer of one-third of the world’s car batteries, we come to work every day committed to design, make, transport and recycle batteries in the safest and most sustainable way.”
The data results come from a telephone omnibus survey (combined landline and cell phone) conducted by ORC International. Nationally, the sample included 493 men and 523 female, 18 years of age and older. The survey was fielded from March 26-30, 2014. At the 95 percent confidence level, the national results have a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
