Batteries have the #PowerToDoMore

Used batteries may no longer be able to operate appliances, but they still have the #PowerToDoMore. A new campaign from Warwickshire business Valpak is using waste batteries to cut carbon and fund mental health support. It has generated £5,030 for local charity Springfield MIND.

Valpak donated £5 for every battery collection box ordered. Since the campaign started, 1,006 battery collection boxes have been ordered; once full, this represents a whopping 15 tonnes – or 750,000 AA batteries – to be collected. 

Emily Styles, Fundraiser at Springfield MIND said: “We’d like to give a massive thank you to Valpak, who are supporting Springfield Mind with a donation as part of their PowerToDoMore battery box recycling campaign. The need for our services is greater than ever and this is set to grow well into the future due to the legacy of Covid; therefore, we are so thankful that Valpak have chosen to donate vital funds to support us with our mission to promote wellbeing and prevent mental health problems in Warwickshire and Worcestershire.”

James Nash, Commercial Manager at Valpak said: “Only 20 per cent of the 40,000 tonnes of batteries sold each year are recycled. Waste batteries are hazardous – they leak toxic waste and can cause dangerous fires in recycling facilities. Our campaign has already had a huge impact, and these figures are just the start – each battery collection box can be refilled over and over again, so the potential huge.”

Through the #PowerToDoMore campaign, Valpak has launched a public campaign to improve awareness and drive participation. Nash said: “We all have the #PowerToDoMore. Valpak staff are very active in supporting local charities and, as well as trying to drive battery recycling and cut carbon, we decided we wanted to assist those who may be struggling in these challenging times.”

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Editors notes

• Through #PowerToDoMore, Valpak has donated £5 to MIND for every battery collection box ordered. Battery boxes are free of charge for commercial businesses and retail outlets. To date, an additional 1,006 boxes have been ordered, raising a total of £5,030.
• Springfield MIND’s Moodmasters is a 12-week workshop that supports individuals age 16+ to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, gain peer support, improve their mental wellbeing, access our 'tool kit' to manage mental health, and gain a greater understanding of why they may feel the way they do. The programme is designed for anyone living with low mental wellbeing or mental ill health and would like a greater insight and strategies into how to manage their mental health more effectively.
• Valpak is the largest environmental compliance scheme in the UK. It works with major names, such as J Sainsbury’s, ASOS, and Miele, and manages compliance for more than 4,000 businesses. In 2017, it celebrated its 20th anniversary.
• In 2018, Valpak was purchased by Reconomy. Reconomy is the UK’s market-leading provider of outsourced recycling and resource management services. It manages approximately 3 million tonnes of waste annually, and works with thousands of UK businesses – from SMEs through to large blue-chip companies – helping them to manage their waste in a responsible, sustainable and cost-effective way. Reconomy principally operates across four key sectors: commercial construction, housebuilding, infrastructure and business & industry.
• In 2016, following a request from a major retailer, Valpak launched its Data Insight Platform. The platform is a bespoke product which allows customers to scrutinise their supply chains. It can be used to monitor areas such as sustainability in packaging, or to ensure that CSR goals such as the Modern Day Slavery Act are met. 

Valpak services include:

• compliance under Packaging, WEEE, and Battery Directives;
• data management services;
• international compliance;
• recycling services (total waste management options and solutions for niche materials);
• consultancy; and,
• accreditation under environmental schemes, such as Zero Waste to Landfill.