Thirty-six garages in southern Ontario collecting used batteries, motor oil and tires

Annual CAA RecycleDrive continues to grow

THORNHILL, ON, Oct. 14, 2014 /CNW/ - Drained batteries, used motor oil and worn out tires don't belong in your blue bin or at the curb with your trash. That's why for the fourth year in a row, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) and Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) will collect your old car, household, and marine batteries, used motor oil and scrap tires for free and make sure they are recycled properly and safely.

It's all part of our annual RecycleDrive, an eco-friendly initiative which runs from October 14-30 at 36 participating facilities  in Barrie, Burlington, Caledon, Chatham, Cobourg, Durham, Hamilton, Kingston, Oakville, Peel, Toronto, Waterloo, Woodstock and York.

"Due to the popularity of the campaign over the last three years, we have decided to expand the initiative and include more drop-off locations," said Nicole Savage, Community Relations Specialist, CAA SCO. "We encourage all motorists to take advantage of this opportunity to get rid of their old batteries, scrap tires and used motor oil in an environmentally friendly way."

"Every year, Ontarians are choosing greener ways of living, and recycling these materials is a crucial aspect to preserving our environment," said Andrew Horsman, Executive Director, Ontario Tire Stewardship. "Through local initiatives like RecycleDrive, we hope to engage more people in some friendly community competition and help transform a shared part of their neighbourhoods into more sustainable spaces."

To encourage the public to participate, CAA SCO and OTS are also including a community incentive. The participating facility that collects the most tires can choose a school in their neighbourhood to receive a Community Revitalization package worth $20,000. The package includes a combination of landscaping greenery and eco-friendly products made from recycled tires to beautify their building or playground.

In 2013, the following items were collected during the campaign:

5,204 tires
2,563 litres of oil
1,328 lbs of household batteries (equal to approximately 18,500 AA batteries)
152 automotive and marine batteries

As a thank you for doing your part to help preserve the planet, we will send the first 50 participants at each location home with a free pack of yard waste bags.

As a leader and advocate for road safety and mobility, CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club which represents the interests of more than 1.9 million members. For over a century, CAA has collaborated with communities, police services and governments to help keep drivers and their families safe while travelling on our roads.

SOURCE: CAA South Central Ontario

Media contact: Silvana Aceto, Media and PR Consultant, CAA SCO, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone] or Jeff LeMoine, Communications Consultant, CAA SCO, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone].