Environment Minister supports Call2Recycle and Earth Rangers in bringing battery recycling contest to Ontario elementary schools
Toronto, April 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With Earth Month underway, Call2Recycle and Earth Rangers are continuing the launch of the first Ontario Battery Blitz recycling contest at C.R. Gummow Public School in Cobourg, Ontario. Alongside the Honourable David Piccini, Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, students learned about the importance of battery recycling in fostering a safe, healthy, and clean environment.
The Battery Blitz contest encourages students to collect as many used batteries as possible, and schools with the highest battery collections receive a monetary prize that they can use to fund environmental education and resources. The program aims to help students form lifelong recycling habits and play a positive role in managing their environment.
"Young people play a crucial role in protecting our environment, something that starts with getting kids involved early on and teaching them about proper environmental stewardship," said Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and MPP for Northumberland-Peterborough South David Piccini. "Through this contest, students at C.R. Gummow are taking on a leadership role in our community, and I challenge other schools in Northumberland-Peterborough South to participate in the Battery Blitz, too."
"The Battery Blitz contest has been incredibly successful throughout Canada, and we're proud to partner with Ontario schools," said Jon McQuaid, Vice President Marketing and Communications at Call2Recycle Canada. "We remain committed to reaching Ontario's objective to collect and recycle 3.5 million kilograms of batteries in 2023 through our extensive collection and recycling network, and we're already working with Earth Rangers and other fantastic partners, municipalities, retailers, and schools to achieve this goal".
"Collecting batteries for recycling is exactly the kind of eco-action we champion here at Earth Rangers," said Tovah Barocas, president of Earth Rangers. "Children can feel anxious about the future of the planet. Instilling a sense of empowerment is one way to help kids feel proactive and hopeful about the environment. The Battery Blitz contest has been a huge success for the last seven years. We're thrilled with this exciting expansion and can't wait to engage with even more elementary students across the province."
Fifty-two schools in Ontario have already signed up for the Earth Month edition of the contest, with sixty more expected to participate in the Fall edition this year. Elementary schools in Ontario interested in participating in the Battery Blitz contest can contact Earth Rangers at [email protected] to sign up for the contest, which will take place in October 2023.
About Earth Rangers
Earth Rangers is the kids' conservation organization, committed to instilling environmental knowledge, positivity, and the confidence to take action in every child. This is done through a suite of free, educational, and engaging programming that children can participate in at school, at home, and in their communities.
About Call2Recycle Canada, Inc.
Call2Recycle® is Canada's leading organization for battery collection and recycling, fulfilling product stewardship obligations on behalf of over 400 members, including producers of single-use and rechargeable batteries. It is the provincially-approved consumer battery collection and recycling program for British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island, and it operates as a registered Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Ontario according to the Ontario Batteries Regulation. Call2Recycle accepts household batteries (weighing up to 5 kg) for recycling and eTransport batteries used to power eBikes, eScooters, eSkateboards, Hoverboards, and Electric Vehicles (EVs).
Since its inception in 1997, Call2Recycle has diverted almost 40 million kilograms of batteries from Canadian landfills. This reputation for excellence has enabled Call2Recycle to maintain trusted, long-term relationships with stakeholders and a network of more than 10,000 participating collection locations across Canada, including at leading retailers and municipal facilities.
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