London, ON – July 30, 2025 – The City of London and Call2Recycle Canada, Canada’s leading battery collection and recycling program, are proud to launch a new community-driven battery recycling initiative designed to make it easier and more engaging for residents to recycle their used household batteries safely and responsibly with the Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! program.

The partnership will officially kick off on August 2 at Storybook Gardens, where families are invited to bring used batteries in exchange for a discount on their admission, participate in themed activities, and meet beloved park characters promoting battery recycling. This event marks the start of a larger campaign that blends infrastructure, education, and community spirit to support London’s vision for a more circular economy.

“This partnership reflects our shared belief that sustainability begins with education and accessibility,” said Joe Zenobio, President and CEO at Call2Recycle. “By engaging children and families, we’re helping build a generation that understands the importance of responsible recycling and giving them fun, meaningful ways to take part.”

As part of the rollout, six new Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! Smart Containers have been installed at some of the city’s busiest facilities:

• Central Library (350,000 annual visitors)
• East Lions Community Centre (300,000 annual visitors)
• South London Community Centre (325,000 annual visitors)
• Startech.com Community Centre (630,000 annual visitors)
• Canada Games Aquatic Centre (350,000 annual visitors)
• Storybook Gardens (170,000 annual visitors)

Each location features educational signage and bilingual materials to ensure residents know how and where to drop off their batteries safely. The goal is to make recycling convenient while encouraging households to participate regularly.

In addition to physical drop-off points, the campaign includes creative programming designed to raise awareness, especially among children. A colouring contest tied to Storybook Gardens’ characters encourages young Londoners to learn about battery recycling in a fun and age-appropriate way. Families can download the colouring sheet at home or pick it up at participating sites.

Later this fall, the City and Call2Recycle will also launch a School Challenge, inviting classrooms to collect and bring in batteries for a chance to win prizes and community recognition. On social media, the #BatteryDropChallenge will encourage residents to share their recycling efforts and help spread the message.

“This is an important step forward in the City’s recycling efforts,” says Jay Stanford, Director, Climate Change, Environment and Waste Management, City of London. “We are trying to meet Londoners where they are to ensure battery recycling is easy, convenient and engaging. We love looking for opportunities to have children participate and learn about the importance of recycling at a young age.”

With over 1.5 million annual visits across the six participating locations, the impact of this initiative is expected to be significant, both in terms of batteries collected and awareness raised. Information about the program will also be included in the City’s annual Waste Recycling Schedule and promoted through london.ca and social media.

About Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. 

For more information, please visit our website: call2recycle.ca

Call2Recycle is Canada’s leading organization for the collection and recycling of batteries and battery-powered products. As a trusted steward for more than 400 members, including producers of single-use and rechargeable batteries, Call2Recycle fulfills regulatory obligations while advancing a circular economy.

The organization manages several leading programs, including Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! for household and e-bike batteries, Recycle Your Vapes for battery-powered vapes and e-cigarettes in Québec, and the voluntary EV Battery Recovery program for electric vehicle batteries, also in Québec.

Call2Recycle operates provincially-approved programs in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Québec, Prince Edward Island, the Yukon Territory, and Nova Scotia, and serves as a registered Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Ontario and Alberta. Its collection and recycling services cover household batteries (up to 5 kg) and e-transport batteries used in e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards, hoverboards, and electric vehicles (EVs).

Since 1997, Call2Recycle has diverted more than 50 million kilograms of batteries from Canadian landfills. It is committed to excellence in environmental stewardship, holding certifications in globally recognized standards, including R2v3, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and ISO 9001. With a network of over 15,000 collection locations—including leading retailers and municipal sites—Call2Recycle is a trusted partner in building a cleaner, more sustainable Canada.

Camille Vandeerstraeten, Communications Director, Call2Recycle Email: [email protected] | Mobile: 416-738-4032