Through an upcoming We Mean Green Fund battery recycling project, Battery or Bust, UNT residents can conveniently dispose
of small batteries in an eco-friendlier way! When improperly disposed of in the trash,
batteries can release hazardous, corrosive substances into groundwater and the environment.
A group of TAMS students proposed this project during the spring of 2021 to educate
the UNT community about proper battery disposal practices and the harms related to
disposing of batteries improperly in household trash or recycling bins. Batteries
must be disposed of safely in a battery-specific recycling receptacle.
Phase one of this project will include dispatching battery recycling bins in the lobbies
of four residence halls: McConnell, Joe Greene, Rawlings, and Crumley. Once a month, volunteers from the TAMS student group Naturally will collect and
weigh the batteries recycled at these locations. After collection, UNT's Risk Management
department will appropriately dispose of batteries. Phase two will introduce the battery
recycling bins to additional residence halls. Look out for the new recycling bins
during the 2021-2022 academic year!
This initiative is made possible by collaborating with UNT Risk Management, UNT Facilities,
and the Texas Academy of Math and Science (TAMS).