Earth Day | 2021

EARTH DAY 2021

4 SATURDAY APRIL 17, 2021

NEW LIFE for old batteries

By Jennifer McFee A provincially approved program gives batteries a new life in a safe and sus- tainable way. Call2Recycle is a consumer battery collection and recycling program for Manitoba, as well as British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Prince Edward Island. In addition, it operates as a registered producer responsibility organization in Ontario. The program accepts single-use and rechargeable household batteries weighing up to five kilograms for recycling. It also accepts eMobility batteries used to power eBikes, eScooters, eHoverboards and eSkateboards. “Since its inception in 1997, Call2Recycle has diverted 26 million kilograms of batteries from Canadian landfills and meets or exceeds the most rigorous recycling standards for safe battery recycling and management,” said Kristen Romilly, director for Western Canada. “Working on behalf of its stakeholders and with a network of more than 8,000 participating collection locations across Canada, Call2Recycle Canada continues its pursuit of ensuring responsible battery recycling is accessible for all.” In Manitoba, Call2Recycle accepts consumer household batteries, which includes both single-use and rechargeable batteries. “Single-use batteries include the kind that are found in your remote controls, kids’ toys and smaller batteries that are found in watches and hearing aids,” Romilly explained. “Rechargeable batteries include portable power packs and batteries that power home security systems and power tools.” Romilly outlines several reasons why batteries

“If certain types of batteries come into

contact with other metal objects that may be in your garbage or junk drawer, it can potentially lead to a spark and eventually a fire.”

- Kristen Romilly, Call2Recycle Director for Western Canada