April 21st, 2023
The ecopark now accepts cellphone, laptop, e-scooter and tablet Lithium-Ion batteries
Spanish Language Version (PDF)
ROCHESTER, NY — In recognition of Earth Day, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello today announced a new partnership today with local companies WM (formerly known as Waste Management), Li-Cycle and Sunnking to create an easy, no-appointment drop off recycling program for Lithium-ion batteries at the Monroe County/WM ecopark. Lithium-ion batteries are becoming ubiquitous, but can be a fire hazard and threaten the environment if damaged or not disposed of properly. This program is free for Monroe County residents.
"Lithium-ion batteries power countless devices that millions of people rely on, but can be dangerous if not stored or charged properly. With this new recycling program, we can help protect our environment and prevent explosions and fires in our community,” said County Executive Bello. "This new service advances Monroe County’s leadership in innovative recycling by providing residents with safe and responsible ways of disposing and reusing chemicals, batteries and even vape devices. Thank you to our partners at Li-Cycle, Sunnking and WM.”
The expanded list of acceptable batteries at the ecopark include:
- Cell Phone, Laptop, E-scooter, E-Bike and Tablet Batteries
- LCO (Cobalt Based) Batteries with Casing
- Mixed Consumer Power Pack Batteries
- Lithium Primary Batteries
- Other Electronic Batteries
Sunnking specializes in the recycling of electronic waste and will handle the logistics of transporting the batteries from the ecopark to Li-Cycle's Eastman Business Park facility where valuable materials from Lithium-ion batteries will be safely recovered.
The theme for Earth Day 2023 is “Invest in Our Planet” and encourages governments, businesses and institutions to do their part to address the climate crisis and create change towards a safe, prosperous and equitable future.
"Our communities continue to recycle thousands of devices that now mostly have rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. It's common for the average household to have more than a dozen devices that need daily recharging," said Robert Burns, Director of Marketing for Sunnking. "For all of the electronics we process throughout the Finger Lakes region, whether through our drop-off site partners like ecopark, or our public e-Recycling Events, we try to ensure as much of the product is reusable as possible. This partnership and program brings us a step closer to securing a fully renewable future. For years, sorting and breaking down these electronics has been a tedious process that our teams take a lot of caution in doing. With today's announcement, we can simplify that process a bit and make it more convenient for residents to recycle right."
“Li-Cycle is excited to be a part of this ecopark program and contribute to the local community by recycling lithium-ion batteries safely and in an environmentally friendly manner,” said Andrew Fleming, Li-Cycle’s New York Spoke Plant Manager. “We take great pride in being a good neighbor and partner to provide benefits to Rochester and Monroe County. At Li-Cycle, we want to ensure lithium-ion batteries are turned into a circular and sustainable product to help enable our clean energy future.”
“Our world is constantly changing, and as sustainability leaders, we are constantly seeking opportunities to extract the most value from waste to help build a more sustainable tomorrow. WM is excited to announce our latest ecopark partnership, the addition of Li-Cycle to help properly collect and recycle lithium-ion batteries,” said WM Senior District Manager Jeff Richardson. “The ecopark’s primary mission is to recover materials that may otherwise be discarded, and place those materials back into the supply chain where they can live another life. The continued growth and success of the ecopark is a testament to WM’s commitment to advancing from a service provider to a true sustainability partner by making it easier for communities to reduce waste and use more recycled materials in a manner that is good for people, communities, and the environment.”
The ecopark also accepts non-lithium rechargeable batteries. Residents can recycle lithium-ion batteries at the Li-Cycle branded collection receptacle inside the ecopark.
The Monroe County/WM ecopark is open every Wednesday from 1 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. For more information, go to monroecounty.gov/ecopark.
