A new year-long campaign titled the “2 Million Battery Challenge” is seeking to recover two million car or truck batteries from garages across the country in order to achieve a 100 percent recycling rate for vehicle batteries. It’s estimated that, currently, 99 percent of vehicle batteries are recycled.

The campaign is being led by the Responsible Battery Coalition (RBC). Pat Hayes, executive director of RBC, says the organization is also working closely with the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium at West Virginia University.

WVNews has more information:

Ramon Sanchez, Ph.D., of the Harvard University School of Public Health and chair of the Responsible Battery Coalition’s Science Advisory Board, calls the recycling of vehicle batteries “one of the great achievements in protecting public and environmental health.”

“With 99 percent of the vehicle batteries in North America currently being recycled, we are reducing pollution including the greenhouse emissions caused from sourcing new battery materials.” Sanchez said. “Getting the remaining two million batteries recycled will make this positive impact even better.”

The new campaign was officially launched Feb. 13 in Washington, DC at a hearing called by the Senate Auto Caucus. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, co-chair of the caucus, commended the coalition’s members for their environmental stewardship.

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