AAA Oregon Great Battery Roundup Now Underway

During the entire month of April, AAA Oregon/Idaho AAR facilities will accept, at no cost, used automotive or marine lead-acid batteries and send them to plants where they can be recycled into new batteries

Photo Courtesy: images.cardomain.com

(SALEM) - Earth Day, April 22nd, will get a boost again from AAA Oregon/Idaho, its battery service professionals, its Approved Auto Repair (AAR) partners and area motorists as they work together to rid the environment of used lead-acid batteries.

"Used vehicle batteries are potential fire and safety hazards because of their lead and sulfuric acid content. Some of these old batteries are illegally disposed of in dumpsters, or are simply placed in family garages, yards or storage sheds where they could leak and contaminate the soil and groundwater, explode and cause a fire or become a source of lead poisoning to humans and animals," said AAA Oregon/Idaho AAR Coordinator Earl Baker.

"We want to encourage people to take the extra and responsible step of searching the areas where these old batteries might be stored and bring them to our AAR facilities for proper disposal."

Anyone wanting to recycle old batteries should follow basic safety procedures:

• Wear gloves and safety glasses when handling batteries
• Keep the batteries upright and transport them in a sturdy box or plastic container
• Make sure the batteries do not tip over in a moving vehicle
• If the battery is cracked or leaking, place it in a leak-proof container
• Do not smoke near the battery or expose it to an open flame.
• Almost 200 AAA Oregon/Idaho AAR facilities will be Great Battery Round-up drop-off sites.

For a complete list of participating AAR facilities and their address, call (800) 452-1643 or log on to www.aaa.com.