Thanks to strong community participation, the Capital Regional District (CRD) received a 2025 Leader in Sustainability Award for recycling 30,816 kilograms of batteries (the equivalent of about 6 adult Orca whales) at the Hartland Public Drop-off Depot. This national award from Call2Recycle honours organizations that demonstrate outstanding environmental leadership through the responsible management of end-of-life batteries and measurable contributions to Canada’s circular economy. This achievement reflects both Hartland Landfill’s operational commitment and the many residents who are helping protect the environment by properly recycling their batteries.
Batteries discarded improperly in household garbage or blue bins pose a serious fire hazard, putting workers, emergency responders, and the environment at risk. By working together as a community, we can make a meaningful difference.
Each properly recycled battery is a small change that adds up, reducing the amount of garbage sent to Hartland Landfill and helping extend its lifespan. At the same time, keeping valuable materials like lithium, nickel, and lead in circulation conserves natural resources and reduces the need for new mining.
Battery recycling at the Hartland Public Drop-off Depot is free and easy. When you arrive at Hartland, inform the scale attendant what type of materials you’d like to drop off. They’ll instruct you where to go and if you’ll need to speak with Hartland staff for more information. If a battery can’t be easily removed from a device, the entire item may be accepted for proper handling.
For residents who cannot make the trip to Hartland, there are dozens of other free battery drop-off locations across the region. To find a location near you or learn more about how to safely dispose of household hazardous waste use the “What Goes Where” tool at crd.ca/whatgoeswhere.
