Photo courtesy of the city of Peterborough, Ontario, and Call2Recycle Canada Inc.
Call2Recycle Canada Inc., a battery collection and recycling program based in Toronto, and the city of Peterborough, Ontario, are launching an awareness campaign to mitigate the community’s carbon footprint and encourage residents to recycle their used batteries.
The initiative expands the partnership between the city and Call2Recycle to improve recycling habits and reduce the city’s environmental footprint. Through this expansion of the existing partnership, the city says it already has increased its battery recycling volumes by over 507 percent since the end of 2022.
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According to the partners, Peterborough refuse trucks and a city bus will display information from Call2Recycle educating residents about the importance of recycling their batteries. In addition, 30,000 individual battery collection cubes will be distributed to residents, with instructions on how to collect used batteries at home and find the nearest drop-off location.
The initiative is designed to support the city’s efforts to reduce waste and protect the environment as part of its Climate Change Action Plan. The city says it now hosts 25 Call2Recycle drop-off points and has recycled nearly 100,000 kilograms of used batteries in the last four years, including over 55,000 kilograms in 2023.
“In Peterborough, we are committed to sustainability and waste diversion initiatives,” Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal says in a news release. “This innovative partnership with Call2Recycle has streamlined the process for responsible disposal of household batteries. I encourage all residents to learn about the program and take advantage of the many convenient battery drop-off locations, which include several city facilities. By working together, we can build a brighter future.”
Councilor Joy Lachica, Peterborough’s environment and climate change portfolio chair, says now is the perfect time for the partnership with Call2Recycle. “As we roll out our green bin program to divert organics from the landfill, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it’s a natural fit to recommit ourselves to recycling and diversion efforts for other items, especially household hazardous waste such as batteries,” she adds. “When residents receive their green bins, they are reminded to look inside the green bin for their Call2Recycle battery collection cube. We’re happy to be working together to protect the environment.”
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The city says residents are invited to participate in the ongoing Circular Economy Month by recycling their old household batteries (up to 5 kilograms) at one of the 25 Peterborough collection sites. The nearest drop-off locations can be found here.
“The city of Peterborough has long been a leader in environmental sustainability, and we are delighted to expand our partnership with them to advance battery recycling in the Peterborough community,” Call2Recycle Canada President Joe Zenobio says. “We are already working with over 150 Ontario municipalities and look forward to continuing these partnerships to ramp up battery recycling and climate change mitigation efforts in Ontario and all of Canada.”
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