Call2Recycle appoints new head of marketing and communications

Consumer battery stewardship and collection program Call2Recycle has appointed Chaka Adams as its new head of marketing and communications.

Adams, who has more than 20 years of communications experience, will lead the Atlanta-based group's marketing and community relations efforts, including digital advertising, media relations and social media. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, a Temple University graduate and Gates Millennium Scholar, Adams most recently served as the vice president of marketing and community relations for Jovia Financial Credit Union, and has led marketing efforts for other entities, including financial technology companies Fiserv and FIS and telecommunications company Comcast.

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“I joined Call2Recycle to make a meaningful impact, enhancing both people’s lives and the well-being of our planet,” Adams says. “We’re moving toward a sustainable, battery-powered world and I want to be part of it.”

Call2Recycle says Adams’ hiring comes as the battery recycling industry is undergoing rapid growth. A recent analysis from the organization found that up to 129 million Americans could be living in states with household battery recycling requirements by 2027, up from less than 1 million today.

“We’re thrilled to have Chaka onboard as we continue to find innovative and creative ways to increase awareness and action on battery recycling,” Call2Recycle CEO Leo Raudys says. “We’re entering an era of industry expansion, and we need someone who knows how to reach and motivate new audiences.”

Call2Recycle says Adams, an experienced strategic marketer and a Cornell University certified diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) professional, intends to elevate the organization’s marketing strategy to reach younger audiences and underrepresented communities.

“We need to reach people where they are,” Adams says. “I want to increase excitement around battery recycling, reaching new, especially younger, audiences and highlighting how recycling benefits us all. Additionally, I want to work towards increasing recycling education and awareness in underrepresented communities. I don’t forget about those communities because that’s where I’m from.”

Adams says she hopes her experience and background as a Black woman in the battery recycling and tech industries will inspire a new generation of women and minority women to enter the tech space.

“In coming years, I’d love to see the number of women, especially Black women, in the tech industry increase,” she says. “To reach greater professional diversity, you need someone in that seat leading by example.”