Did You Know There is an Easy Way to Recycle the Batteries Used in Your Zebra Devices?
We ship over 2.5 million mobile computer, printer and scanner batteries each year to customers in North America as part of our standard order fulfillment process as well as our battery warranty and battery service plans such as proactive battery replacement. Do you know how many are shipped back in for recycling when they reach end of life?
We do – and it’s not nearly as many as it should be, especially considering we offer battery recycling as a free service to North America customers. (Zebra tracks internal recycling rates as part of our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen.)
That’s why I want to make sure you know where to drop – versus dump – your batteries when the time comes to replace them or retire your Zebra devices.
Call2Recycle is On Standby
If you are a smaller business in North America and you don’t have a formal device or battery collection and recycling process set up, no problem. Just take your old device batteries to any Call2Recycle bin in your city or town, and we’ll pick up the charge of having it recycled. (Zebra is a Call2Recycle Steward, which you can learn more about here.)
If you are already set up with a battery recycling box from Call2Recycle at your location, then you can continue to send in your older batteries when the box is full in an environmentally-friendly manner per the instructions from Call2Recycle. Or you can schedule a hassle-free pickup by visiting our website. If you don’t have an on-site bin yet, it can be as simple as an old box that would otherwise be recycled.
If you subscribe to Zebra’s OneCare™ Maintenance Service (anywhere in the world), or you have to replace a battery that’s under warranty, then we will recycle the batteries for you. If you sent us the device for troubleshooting and one of our repair center team members confirms the battery must be replaced, then we’ll drop the old battery in our repair center recycling bins and return the device to you with a new battery. The same process applies if you just send us the battery for servicing. Once our bins are full, we will send them into Call2Recycle in the U.S. We will also make sure they are properly disposed of in regions outside North America.
Likewise, if you are in North America, and signed up for Zebra’s Proactive Battery Replacement Service, then all you have to do is drop off or send in your old batteries per the terms of the “swap” service. We will automatically recycle them as part of our Steward collaboration with Call2Recycle. In fact, this may be the easiest way to replace and recycle your batteries, mainly because you get a new battery delivered before the old one begins to fail and cannot hold power for a full work shift. Once the old battery has been swapped out, you can use the recycling program to send in the old battery. Without a service plan, it can take several steps to order or purchase a replacement battery which can lead to additional downtime and lost productivity. I encourage you to learn more about the offering here.
It’s Easy to Do Your Part
No matter where you live or why you need to dispose of your old Zebra batteries, we’ve tried by make it as easy as possible for you to drop them into a recycling bin or a box for pickup by one of our recycling partners so you don’t have to throw them into a trash can and load up landfills.
If you’re in North America, you can go straight to a Call2Recycle bin and drop off the batteries yourself, or you can ship them back to Zebra and we’ll route them to Call2Recycle. If you’re outside the U.S., our repair center teams will make sure batteries are recycled when you return them for replacement. If you’re interested in other recycling options closer to your business, contact your local Zebra representative to see what’s available or visit our Product Recycling page here to submit a recycling request.
###
Editor’s Note:
Did you know Zebra was named a Top 100 Leader in Sustainability by Call2Recycle, our North America battery recycling vendor? Or that we recycled nearly 30,000 lbs. of batteries in 2021 and then played a pivotal role in helping the Call2Recycle program hit a milestone of recycling nearly 8 million pounds of consumer batteries in 2022? Learn more about our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program, which focuses on environmental, social and governance initiatives prioritized based on commitments to our stakeholders.
You may also be interested in these related resources:
- Charged Up: Why More Companies Need Proactive Battery Management Strategies for Employees' Mobile Devices
- Doing Our Part to Help Restore Our Earth: A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Product Life Cycle Management
- A Sneak Peek into How Zebra Will Give Back to Global Communities on Earth Day and All Year Round
- There is No Planet B: Mobilizing in Support of Climate Action for Earth Day
- Packaging for the Planet: Cost Savings are Just One Benefit of More Sustainable Shipment Strategies
- Is It Really Possible for Supply Chain Companies to Go Plastic Free? We’re Not Sure, but We Should Try.
- Meet the Experts on a Mission to Protect Our Planet, One Mobile Device at a Time
Sandeep Malhotra
Sandeep Malhotra is the Senior Global Product Manager at Zebra Technologies, where he is responsible for managing numerous services for mobile computer and printer devices. Sandeep is bringing the Proactive Battery Replacement program to market which is new, innovative, and the first predictive service in Zebra’s battery portfolio.
Sandeep has over 25 years of product management and sales experience within numerous industries including enterprise mobile computing, pharmaceutical, and telecom/unified communications. Key accomplishments include earning Interactive Week’s Most Innovative Voice Service Award for Talking Call Waiting and receiving the JD Powers #1 Customer Satisfaction ranking among North American-based cable/satellite providers. Sandeep holds an MBA from Loyola University Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois.
