The Atlanta-based recycling program has launched a new campaign, MyCall2Recycle, to help promote awareness and education about recycling rechargeable batteries.

The recycling program partnered with DeWALT, Lowe´s, RadioShack and Staples to help build the campaign, which involves a social media component and random prize giveaways for people caught in the act of recycling.

Call2Recycle has set a goal of collecting 1 million pounds of batteries by Oct. 1. The organization will host collection drives in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and San Diego, in addition to organizing 30,000 public dropoff locations.

"We have collected more than 55 million pounds of rechargeable batteries since our program launched in 1996, but too many used batteries are still going to landfills," said Carl Smith, president and CEO of Call2Recycle. "Millions of batteries are not recycled, primarily because people don´t know that they can be recycled or where to take them for recycling. Our goal with the MyCall2Recycle campaign is to collect one million pounds of batteries between now and Oct. 1, by making everyone in the U.S. and Canada aware of the free battery recycling locations in their area; and educating businesses on the advantages of becoming a free battery collection spot."

For more information on the campaign, visit http://mycall2recycle.org/ or become a follower or fan at twitter.com/call2recycle or facebook.com/call2recycle.

Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Amanda Smith-Teutsch at 330-865-6166 or asmith-teutsch@crain.com