Call2Recycle challenges Canadians to "Take Charge” and recycle their batteries for Earth Month


TORONTO, April 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Call2Recycle, Canada’s leading household battery collection and recycling organization, is calling on Canadians to celebrate Earth Month by stepping up their battery recycling to protect our environment.

April is Earth Month, an extension of Earth Day observed on April 22. This month-long event serves as a reminder of the collective responsibility we share in protecting our planet, and the critical role battery recycling plays in these efforts. With each battery recycled, Canadians can continue to make a significant impact on the ecosystem. In 2023, almost 6 million kilograms of used batteries were diverted from Canadian landfills through Call2Recycle’s “Recycle Your Batteries, Canada!” program - the program’s ‘best year yet’, surpassing 45 million kilograms of batteries recycled since its inception in 1997.

In celebration of Earth Month, Call2Recycle Canada will roll out a series of initiatives aimed at encouraging Canadians to make a positive environmental impact:

  • The April Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! "Take Charge Contest” promotes awareness of battery recycling and offers Canadians the opportunity to win great prizes by responsibly recycling their batteries at one of over 12,000 convenient drop-off locations nationwide.
  • Call2Recycle is partnering with leading retailers including Longo’s and Batteries Expert, to enhance the ‘Take Charge Contest’ through in-store activation, offering consumers easy access to battery recycling while shopping.
  • Call2Recycle and Staples are proudly celebrating 20 years of working together to recycle batteries and will be raising awareness through digital and social media activations.
  • Call2Recycle will be recognizing the Fall 2023 Battery Blitz School Contest winners in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and British Columbia. In collaboration with Earth Rangers – the leading kids’ conservation organization committed to instilling environmental knowledge, positivity, and the confidence to take action - this program aims to educate and recognize the outstanding efforts of students and schools for their commitment to promoting battery recycling and environmental education within their communities.
  • Call2Recycle will share battery recycling guidance and information throughout the month, to educate the public about best practices.

“Earth Month is an opportunity to consider our actions and the impact they can have on our planet,” said Joe Zenobio, President of Call2Recycle Canada. “We encourage Canadians to “Take Charge” this April by bringing their used batteries to one of Call2Recycle’s participating convenient drop-off sites for recycling. With the support of our partners – members, provincial governments, and collection sites – we continue to make battery recycling more accessible and convenient for all Canadians.”

When batteries reach their end-of-life, recycling is critical in our efforts to keep people and property safe, address climate change, and build a strong circular economy. By responsibly recycling batteries, Canadians can prevent the chemical or metal components of batteries from ending up in landfills. Recycling also allows for the recovery and reuse of these valuable components, which can be used in the manufacturing of new products, like stainless steel products.

For Earth Month and every day, Call2Recycle encourages all Canadians to power up their commitment to battery recycling. With 92% of Canadians living within 15 kilometres of a Call2Recycle drop-off location, battery recycling is convenient and easy. Simply ‘Collect, Protect, and Drop-Off’ batteries at participating Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! locations, including retailers and municipalities. To find your nearest drop-off point, go to www.recycleyourbatteries.ca.

Key Facts:

  • April is Earth Month, an extension of Earth Day, dedicated to celebrating our planet and taking action to protect it.
  • Earth Day, April 22, is celebrated internationally as an opportunity to increase environmental awareness and take action about the issues that affect our environment.
  • In 2023, Call2Recycle Canada diverted enough precious metals to produce the equivalent of nearly 37 million new cell phone batteries, and enough steel to produce the equivalent of over 278 million new AA alkaline batteries.

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. Call2Recycle powers Recycle Your Batteries, Canada!, its household and e-bike battery collection and recycling program. The organization operates provincially-approved programs in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island, and in Nova Scotia, starting July 2024. It also functions as a registered Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Ontario, adhering to the Ontario Batteries Regulation. It offers collection and recycling services for household batteries (weighing up to 5 kg), as well as e-transport batteries used to power e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards, hoverboards, and Electric Vehicles (EVs).

Since its inception in 1997, Call2Recycle has diverted over 45 million kilograms of batteries from Canadian landfills. It upholds its commitment to operating the highest quality battery recycling program in Canada and holds certification in the most rigorous and globally respected standards, including R2v3, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 9001, as well as exclusively contracting with an ISO 27001 certified supplier for all IT infrastructure management. This reputation for excellence has enabled Call2Recycle to maintain trusted, long-term relationships with stakeholders and establish a network of more than 12,000 participating collection locations across Canada, including at leading retailers and municipal facilities.

Contact: 
Charles-Antoine Dubois, Bilingual Corporate Communications Manager, Call2Recycle Canada 
Email: cadubois@appelarecycler.ca |   Mobile: 647-464-7381

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/58e91362-f07f-4782-9260-e6fba8cc09d0


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