Montreal, May 22, 2024 – For the 8th year in a row, a total of 195 schools, CEGEPs and educational establishments participated in the “Concours de Recyclage de Piles” battery collection contest organized by ENvironnement JEUnesse and Call2Recycle. During the 2023-2024 school year, students, with the support of their teachers and families, collected over 23,000 kg of batteries – the equivalent weight of two school buses.
“The results of this contest demonstrate the remarkable commitment of these schools to a more responsible stewardship and an increased awareness regarding the recycling of these hazardous materials. Encouraging youth participation also helps raise awareness through environmental education. By participating in this contest, the student community is actively supporting environmental awareness. This is one of the fundamental reasons this battery recycling contest exists,” explains Caroline Hervochon, communications coordinator at ENvironnement JEUnesse.
“We are delighted to see young Quebecers getting more involved in our collection contest each year. Battery recycling is essential to protecting our environment, and these students play a major role in introducing sustainable recycling habits to their communities“, explains Jordan Covens, Director of Marketing at Call2Recycle.
$13,550 for participating schools to support environmental projects
“By participating in the battery recycling competition set up by ENvironnement JEUnesse and Call2Recycle, our students have contributed to improving their environment. They’ve helped recover many batteries, but they also contributed to the future greening of our schoolyard in 2025. Their involvement makes all the difference,” says Jean-Pierre Marceau, director of AIBL, the winning school of the grand prize of $2000.
The prizes awarded to the schools are reinvested in environmental initiatives, like the installation of battery sorting stations, the creation of educational gardens, the acquisition of recycling and composting bins, as well as the purchase of educational materials to create awareness about the environmental management of waste.
The strength of collection: a powerful impact on the establishments and the environment
The battery collection contest raises young people’s awareness of the importance of recycling batteries for environmental protection and encourages them to adopt eco-responsible habits in their daily lives. Mobilizing young people in schools, CEGEPs, and colleges, is essential for the safe and ecological disposal of batteries and to increase the battery collection rate in Quebec.
It is essential to recycle batteries responsibly at the end of their life, to prevent their chemical and metal components from being thrown in the trash or ending up in landfills. Recycling also allows the recovery and reuse of these components to manufacture new products and thus promote the circular economy.
Supporting youth in their commitment to the environment
In addition to the battery collect contest, ENvironnement JEUnesse accompanies youth aged 15 to 29 through its mobilization program, Partenariat jeunesse, which helps them become aware of environmental issues, provides them with the necessary tools, and encourages them to take action by undertaking projects.
About Call2Recycle Canada Inc.
Call2Recycler®, Canada’s largest battery collection and recycling organization, fulfills product stewardship obligations on behalf of more than 400 members, which include producers of single-use and rechargeable batteries. Call2Recycle manages “Recycle your batteries, Canada!” », its collection and recycling program for household batteries and electric bicycles.
About ENvironnement JEUnesse
Founded in 1979, ENvironnement JEUnesse (ENJEU) is an organization in environmental education whose goal is to make Québec’s youth aware of environmental issues by offering programs that help them acquire the necessary tools and encouraging them to take action in their respective surroundings.
Contact:
Kathya Bérubé-Panneton
Program Support Officer | ENvironnement JEUnesse
[email protected] | 514-252-3016
Charles-Antoine Dubois
Bilingual Corporate Communications Manager | Call2Recycle Canada
[email protected] | 647 464-7381
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