WINNIPEG, June 26, 2023 – In partnership with Earth Rangers, Call2Recycle Canada announced today the results of their 2022 Manitoba Battery Blitz Contest. The award ceremony took place on June 23 at R.H.G. Bonnycastle School in Winnipeg, MB, with special guest Jon Reyes, MLA for Waverley and Minister of Labour and Immigration of Manitoba.
Call2Recycle and Earth Rangers have been partnering since 2015 to run the Battery Blitz Contest in Canada, in order to educate students about the importance of battery recycling for our environment. This contest offers a fun and interactive opportunity for local elementary school students to collect as many used batteries as possible over a month, in order to help protect the environment in the province and for a chance to win a prize for their school.
In 2022, 17 Manitoba elementary schools participated in the Battery Blitz contest and collected over 2,550 kg of used batteries. The top three schools are awarded monetary prizes, to be used towards purchasing educational materials, experiences, or technology:
- 1st place: R.H.G. Bonnycastle School (Winnipeg) for collecting over 1,285 kg of batteries.
- 2nd place: John De Graff School (Winnipeg) for collecting over 503 kg of batteries.
- 3rd place: Prairie Rose Elementary School (Winnipeg) for collecting almost 238 kg of batteries.
“I am pleased to see so many Manitoba schools participate and learn about the importance of battery recycling and ways to protect the environment,” said Jon Reyes, MLA for Waverley and Minister Labour and Immigration of Manitoba. “I congratulate R.H.G. Bonnycastle School in my constituency of Waverley for coming in first place.”
“At Bonnycastle we dream big, work hard and never give up,” said Monaliza Vianzon, Principal, R.H.G. Bonnycastle School. “With the love and support of the community we collected 1, 285 kg worth of batteries to recycle and keep out of the landfills. Our students were so proud of their accomplishments that this was a springboard into other great initiatives to bring awareness to the Earth and our responsibility to protect Turtle Island.”
“The students of Manitoba and especially R.H.G Bonnycastle School showed incredible commitment to the Battery Blitz Contest in 2022, collecting over 2,000 kg of batteries,” said Jon McQuaid, Vice-President Marketing and Communications at Call2Recycle. “We are gratified to see young Manitobans building such great recycling habits, which will make a big difference for our environment in the longer term.”
Manitoba schools will also be participating in the Fall 2023 edition of the Battery Blitz Contest, and schools interested in signing up can contact Earth Rangers at [email protected].
About Earth Rangers
Earth Rangers is the kids’ conservation organization, committed to instilling environmental knowledge, positivity, and the confidence to take action in children across North America. We do this through a suite of programming that is educational and engaging—but more importantly, our programs show children that it is not too late to help the planet, and the things we do today will matter tomorrow. Founded as a small community organization in Canada in 2004, Earth Rangers has since grown to be the largest youth environmental organization globally with over 325,000 members and alumni.
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. It is the provincially-approved consumer battery collection and recycling program for British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island, and operates as a registered Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Ontario according to the Ontario Batteries Regulation. Call2Recycle accepts household batteries (weighing up to 5 kg) for recycling and eTransport batteries used to power eBikes, eScooters, eSkateboards, Hoverboards and Electric Vehicles (EVs).
Since its inception in 1997, Call2Recycle has diverted over 40 million kilograms of batteries from Canadian landfills. This reputation for excellence has enabled Call2Recycle to maintain trusted, long-term relationships with stakeholders and a network of more than 10,000 participating collection locations across Canada, including at leading retailers and municipal facilities.
Media Contact
Charles-Antoine Dubois, Bilingual Corporate Communications Manager
Email: [email protected] ; Mobile: 647-464-7381