As Canada’s national consumer battery recycling stewardship organization, Call2Recycle Canada celebrated Waste Reduction Week (October 19-25) this year by calling on Canadians to stop hoarding dead batteries. In P.E.I., Call2Recycle partnered with Stonepark Intermediate School to participate in a friendly competition to see who could collect the most spent batteries and used cellphones during Waste Reduction Week.
“I want to commend the students and staff of Stonepark Intermediate School for their impressive commitment to bettering our environment,” said the Honourable Robert Mitchell, Minister of Communities, Land and Environment. “I also want to express thanks to Stonepark for raising awareness around our battery recycling program on Prince Edward Island and encourage all Islanders to follow suit in their remarkable recycling practices.”
P.E.I. residents and students joined hands to achieve their recycling objectives. The overwhelming efforts of the Stonepark Intermediate School, championed by Vice Principal Jill Burry, resulted in almost 7,000 batteries being collected by the students.
“Grade 8 student Emma Willoughby took it upon herself to collect almost 2,500 batteries on her paper route to win the title of P.E.I. Waste Ace, “ said Burry. “We achieved our objectives in terms of sustainability, awareness and collections, thanks to the efforts of our Green Team.”
The second and third prize winners were Brandon MacKinnon who collected 1000 batteries, and Lesley Evison with 306 batteries.
“We worked collaboratively to help Stonepark School to run a successful battery recycling program supplemented by a media blitz on the radio and press,” said Line Berube, Director, Call2Recycle, Eastern Canada. “Islanders are known for giving back and protecting the environment, and we were delighted to work with this school in Charlottetown to raise awareness for battery recycling throughout the province.”
Currently, 90 per cent of P.E.I. residents live within a 15 km radius of an available drop-off site. Over the next year Call2Recycle will be strategically adding collection locations across the island in easily-accessible places like hardware stores, electronic stores and pharmacies, government buildings, schools, and health care centres. P.E.I. residents can find their closest drop off location at call2recycle.ca.