February 18 Marks National Battery Day

ST. LOUIS (Feb. 6, 2018) — As we get ready to celebrate the people we love, it’s a great time to remember to show some love for an essential part of your life – your car battery.

Your car battery may not be top of mind when you head out to work, school or the store. We often take for granted that our car, and the battery that sparks it to life, will be ready to go when we need it, but like any good relationship, a little attention goes a long way.

Just in time for National Battery Day, The Doe Run Company (Doe Run) offers these tips to take care of your car battery.

  1. Dress appropriately for your battery date. Dressing for the occasion is always a good idea, so before you lift the hood of your car, don some gloves and safety glasses and always follow the vehicle’s manual or battery manufacturer’s guidelines.
  2. Connection is key. Make sure your battery’s cables, posts and fasteners are clean and tight, use a stiff wire brush and water with baking soda to clean off any corrosion, and check that the battery is secured to the battery tray.
  3. Even in the best relationship, you need time to unplug. Turning off car lights and unplugging phone chargers and other accessories when the car is off allows your battery to rest and recharge, so it can be there for you when you need it.
  4. Unsure if your battery will see you through weather extremes? Ask a professional by stopping by a retail auto part store. Most can quickly determine if your battery has enough charge to get you through the tough times.
  5. Know if it’s time to break up with your battery. Telltale signs that the relationship is starting to fizzle include dim headlights that brighten when you rev the engine, a starter that is slow to turn, or any battery that is more than five years old.
  6. After your battery has given you years of service, you can show it – and the earth – a little love by taking it to be recycled. Your local retail auto part store will be happy to recycle your old battery.

“More than 99 percent of lead batteries are recycled, so the dependable power source that started your car each morning can be repurposed into another lead battery, creating a sustainable lifecycle,” said Anthony Staley, general manager at Doe Run Resource Recycling facility.

It is easy to recycle used car batteries – simply turn them in at local retail auto part stores where new batteries can be purchased. These retailers can help you install your new battery, too.

Millions of lead batteries from cars return to Missouri each year to be recycled at Doe Run’s Resource Recycling facility in Boss, Missouri, one of the largest single-site lead recycling facilities in the world. In the U.S. alone, lead battery recycling keeps 2.4 million tons of batteries out of landfills, which is a great way to love the earth, too!

About The Doe Run Company

Based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, The Doe Run Company is a privately held natural resources company and a global provider of lead, copper and zinc concentrates. Dedicated to environmentally responsible mineral and metal production, Doe Run operates one of the world’s largest, single-site lead recycling centers, located in Boss, Missouri, and mines from one of the world’s largest lead mining districts, also in Missouri. The Doe Run Company and its subsidiaries deliver products and services necessary to provide power, protection and convenience. Doe Run has operations in Missouri, Washington and Arizona. For more information, visit www.doerun.com  and sustainability.doerun.com.

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