Battery collection achieves unprecedented success
The County of Simcoe collected over 50,000 kg, the equivalent weight of 30 cars, through its Battery Collection Week in November, making it one of the most successful curbside battery collection events in Canada in the 27-year history of the Call2Recycle program.
The County of Simcoe and Call2Recycle Canada have combined efforts to support the county’s sustainability objectives, collecting over 225,000 kg of used batteries since the partnership began in 2020. Last year, the county was awarded the Leader in Sustainability Award from Call2Recycle for its battery recycling commitment, demonstrating how communities of any size can come together to make a significant positive impact on the environment by keeping batteries out of landfills.
“The outstanding battery recycling efforts by the county’s residents demonstrate our community’s strong environmental consciousness,” said Simcoe County Warden Basil Clarke. “On behalf of the County of Simcoe, I could not be more proud of the residents of Simcoe County. This illustrates our dedication to making communities even more responsible, to create a lasting and meaningful environmental impact.”
Throughout 2024, the County of Simcoe and Call2Recycle have worked together to recycle used batteries, educating the region’s 350,000-plus residents about the benefits of responsible battery recycling practices and making battery recycling more accessible through the county’s five permanent Household Hazardous Waste Depots where batteries can be dropped off any time of the year.
“Simcoe County’s exceptional achievement is a powerful environmental success story for Ontarians, as we continue engaging and encouraging other municipalities across the province to adopt similar curbside collection initiatives to help advance Ontario’s waste diversion goals,” said Joe Zenobio, president of Call2Recycle Canada.
Call2Recycle operates in Ontario as the largest registered battery Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO), with almost 3,000 convenient Recycle Your Batteries, Canada drop-off points in the province easily accessible to over 98 per cent of Ontarians.
Residents of Simcoe County and all Canadians interested in recycling their used batteries can locate their nearest battery drop-off points at recycleyourbatteries.ca.
Contributed photo – From left: Rob Elliott, General Manager, Engineering, Planning and Environment, (Simcoe County); Jennifer Coughlin, Deputy Warden (Simcoe County); Basil Clarke, Warden (Simcoe County); Laura Barrett, Collections Manager (Simcoe County); Sophie Zabonas-Ross, Director, Account Management, Call2Recycle.
