Call2Recycle, the country’s first and largest consumer battery recycling program, revealed on National Battery Day the 2018 top 10 battery recycling states based on program participation. With Vermont topping the list, the following states made it into the top 10: Delaware, Georgia, Minnesota, California, Illinois, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington. The top 10 states are ranked based on per capita collection performance.

Contributing factors driving the top 10 states’ performance included strong participation from manufacturers along with public collection networks (municipalities and retailers). A surge in the removal and management of damaged batteries from the market and education awareness efforts also complemented collection efforts.

National Battery Day, celebrated each year on February 18, reminds consumers to responsibly recycle their batteries once they no longer power devices. Proper handling, management and transportation of used batteries helps to mitigate the risk of safety incidents. The top 10 battery recycling states responsibly disposed of nearly 3.5 million pounds of batteries in 2018, helping to keep batteries out of landfills.

“National Battery Day provides the opportunity to recognize the contributions of our top 10 battery recycling states and spotlight the ease of year-round battery recycling,” said Call2Recycle Executive Vice President of External Relations Linda Gabor in a statement. “As batteries continue to power our daily lives, we must continue to be good stewards of the environment by safely recycling batteries once they reach their end of life.”

The program’s collection network allows for easy and accessible battery recycling, with 86 percent of residents living within 10 miles of a drop-off location. Before recycling, consumers should review tips on how to safely prepare batteries.

Last year, Call2Recycle collected 7.2 million pounds of consumer batteries. Since 1994, the program has diverted and recycled more than 115 million pounds of batteries from U.S. landfills.

Take a look at the top 10 states leading the charge on battery recycling for 2018.