Some examples of items made from recycled material are well-known: paper products, plastic containers, wooden furniture. According to New Hanover County’s Environmental Management Director Joe Suleyman, a less known fact is that the materials in batteries can be recycled to make, among other things, golf clubs. That means dead batteries collected as part of the county’s award-winning battery recycling program could soon be on a greenway near you.
The battery collection initiative started by Suleyman and his staff to keep batteries and the toxic chemicals they contain out of the landfill and waterways now has several collection bins in locations all across the county, from Castle Hayne to Fort Fisher.
Suleyman and his staff then sort through the collected batteries and send them to special facilities in the Midwest, where the different materials that make up batteries, from the casings to the chemicals inside, are separated, sorted and sent off to new lives as putters or kitchen cutlery.
Here’s a list of the nine New Hanover County locations that contain a total of 13 bins. They are located in libraries and other buildings with operating hours, so be sure to check if they’re open before you go.
New Hanover County Main Library
Location: 201 Chestnut St., Wilmington, NC 28401
Hours: Monday and Tuesday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Wednesday and Thursday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday 1 – 5 p.m.
Northeast Library
Location: 1241 Military Cutoff Road, Wilmington, NC 28405
Hours: Monday and Tuesday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Wednesday and Thursday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday 1 – 5 p.m.
Myrtle Grove Library
Location: 5155 S. College Rd., Wilmington, NC 28412
Hours: Monday and Tuesday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Wednesday and Thursday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday 1 – 5 p.m.
Pleasure Island Library
Location: 1401 N. Lake Park Blvd., Carolina Beach, NC 28428
Hours: Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Closed Sunday
New Hanover County Government Complex
Location: 230 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403
Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed Saturday and Sunday
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Location: 900 Loggerhead Road, Kure Beach, NC 28449
Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
College locations
The following are located in buildings on college campuses. Hours of operation vary, depending on the school’s calendar. Click the links to find the latest information about hours at the specific locations.
Cape Fear Community College – Main Campus
Learning Resource Center (2nd floor of the Health Sciences Building)
Location: 415 N. 2nd St., Wilmington, NC 28401
Find the CFCC’s directions here.
Cape Fear Community College – North Campus
Learning Resource Center (McKeithan Center)
Location: 4500 Blue Clay Road, Castle Hayne, NC 28429
Find the CFCC’s directions here.
University of North Carolina – Wilmington
Randall Library
Location: 601 S. College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403
Find The Randall Library’s hours here.
Fisher University Union
Location: 4855 Price Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403
Find UNCW’s campus hours here.
