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Environment Minister supports Call2Recycle and Earth Rangers in bringing battery recycling contest to Ontario elementary schools

Photo: Call2Recycle Battery Blitz, Cobourg.

Toronto — 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, Ont. Alongside David Piccini, Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, students learned about battery recycling.

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.”

Fifty-two schools in Ontario have 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 lgalati@earthrangers.com to sign up for the contest, which will take place in October 2023.

“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.”