The Battery Project | Change Will Happen

The Battery Project started in 2016 and is the reason Change Will Happen Inc. was founded. We noticed that doctors' offices were throwing away partially used batteries because medical monitors require fresh batteries, even though the removed batteries were still safe to use. After learning the environmental harm batteries can cause during a visit to Freshkills Park, we took action. When batteries end up in landfills, their casings corrode and toxic chemicals can leak into the soil and water, harming wildlife and human health.

To prevent this waste, we place collection bins in offices, collect and sort the batteries, then repack and distribute them for free to community members for low-power devices like remotes and portable electronics. To date, we have reused over 28,000 batteries and distributed more than 4700 battery packets. The project now operates in three states with 25 volunteers, reducing hazardous waste and protecting our environment through reuse.

How We Got The Idea

Freshkills Park Discovery

Freshkills Park is the largest park to be developed in New York City in over 100 years. It is also the site of the Fresh Kills Landfill, which was the largest landfill in the world prior to its closing in 2001. Since then, the area is being developed as a wildlife haven and a park for recreation.

In 2016 on a discovery trip to Freshkills Park, we learned how batteries can harm the environment and decided to do something about it. We were at our doctors' office for a check-up and noticed that her assistant would remove batteries from monitors and throw them away. The batteries had only been used for a few hours. The assistant said that they were safe to reuse but cannot be used in the office because monitors need fresh batteries to work efficiently.

Our Process

We created a simple reuse system to prevent usable batteries from entering the trash stream:

We supplied offices with battery collection bins
Collected partially used batteries 4-6 times a year
Weighed, counted and inspected our collection
Sorted them by size and type
Filled them in decorated envelopes
Wrote a message about recycling and reuse
Handed them out to be used in remote control devices
Initiated conversations about the importance of reusing and recycling

Results

28,000+

Number of batteries reused and distributed

4700+

Number of packets distributed to households

40%

Percentage drop in battery usage

Behavioural Change Over Time

After setting up collection bins, donating rechargeable batteries and talking to staff about chemicals leaching into soil, we saw measurable change

2016

Collected over 30 lbs of batteries baseline

2018

Noted a 30% drop in battery usage in 2 years

2020

Noted a 40% drop in battery usage in 4 years

Present

Operating in three states with 25 volunteers

Project in Action

Indoor Horse Riding Center, Ocean Breeze, Staten Island, NY

Future Plans

We have recruited more volunteers and continue to expand our reach to protect the environment

NYC Expansion

Planning collection bins on 5th Avenue in NYC

New Jersey

Expanding to Maplewood, NJ

Growing Network

Recruiting more volunteers across states

Reusing is Better Than Recycling

A little time and a tiny amount of effort can help keep our planet Earth green. This project gave us an opportunity to spread the word about reuse, recycling, and using rechargeable batteries to our friends at the office and in our community. Our friends, our local community, and neighbors were very happy as they got free batteries to put in their TV and video remotes and portable devices.

Join Our Mission

Help us prevent battery waste and protect our environment through reuse and education.

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