Stewardship Ontario Challenges Ontarians to Help Reach Goal of 50,000 Batteries Collected before we Turn Back the Clock
TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2012 /CNW/ - As a kick off to Waste Reduction Week, Stewardship Ontario is empowering all Ontarians to make every battery count by encouraging participation in a battery drive to benefit environmental charities in Ontario. Ontarians are encouraged to find their nearest drop-off location using a new mobile app that enables them to record their participation and choose either EcoSpark or Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre as the recipient of a donation. These charities were chosen for their efforts in preserving Ontario's natural resources and helping to reinforce the positive environmental impact of proper battery disposal.
Stewardship Ontario will donate $0.30 per battery, up to a maximum of $15,000, for drop-offs made before November 4th.
"Ontarians know that switching the clock back an hour means replacing the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and we think this is a perfect time to re-charge our collective thinking on battery recycling," said Paul Gerard, spokesman for Stewardship Ontario, the private not-for-profit company that runs the Orange Drop program. "Our new mobile app is a win-win for Ontarians, making it easier than ever before to recycle their batteries at one of our over 2,000 locations, protect the environment and help raise money for deserving charities."
According to a recent poll, nearly all (95 per cent) of Ontarians who currently throw batteries in the trash said they would be somewhat likely to change their ways if it was easier for them to recycle.
During Waste Reduction Week Canadians are encouraged to take action by adopting more environmentally conscious choices, with this year's theme being "Too Good To Waste". This certainly holds true for batteries - valuable resources are recovered when they are dropped off for recycling.
To download the app and to find out where to make a drop, visit makethedrop.ca/mobile
Available resources:
Learn more by joining the discussion on Twitter or Facebook.
About the Charities
EcoSpark works with communities and with schools, providing them with the knowledge and tools to monitor their environment and take action for positive environmental change.
The Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre is a non-profit, registered charity that operates a hospital for injured wild turtles. Once healed these turtles are released back into their natural habitat. KTTC also provides an outreach program to promote healthy turtle populations and stewardship. The Centre opened in 2002 and is located in Peterborough, Ontario.
About Stewardship Ontario
Stewardship Ontario is an independent, industry-funded organization mandated under the Waste Diversion Act. The organization reports to a board of directors made up of representatives from the retail and consumer products industry.
Stewardship Ontario manages two waste diversion programs in Ontario - the blue box program, which provides municipalities with funding to support the residential recycling of paper and packaging; and the Orange Drop program, which manages the collection and recovery of hazardous and special waste materials through municipal and commercial locations.
Image with caption: "Infographic - a visual graph of Why Every Battery Counts (CNW Group/Stewardship Ontario)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20121017_C7135_PHOTO_EN_19343.jpg
Image with caption: "New Mobile App Turns Used Batteries into Funding for Environmental Charities (CNW Group/Stewardship Ontario)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20121017_C7135_PHOTO_EN_19447.jpg
Video with caption: "Video: Learn why it's important and where to drop-off your used batteries ". Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SORgqC9Bp1c&feature=plcp
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2012/10/17/20121017_C7135_DOC_EN_19345.pdf
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2012/10/17/20121017_C7135_DOC_EN_19346.pdf
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2012/10/17/20121017_C7135_DOC_EN_19347.pdf
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2012/10/17/20121017_C7135_DOC_EN_19348.pdf
SOURCE: Stewardship Ontario
To arrange an interview or for more information, contact:
Sebastian Gatica
[email protected]
416-929-2768
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