Port Colborne, October 31, 2013 – The Recycling Council of Ontario has recognized Raw Materials Company (RMC) with two Platinum Awards at their annual Awards Gala on October 24, 2013 during Waste Reduction Week. 

For more than thirty years, the Recycling Council of Ontario has been the collective voice of a diverse membership with a mission to inform and educate all members of society about the generation of waste, the avoidance of waste, the more efficient use of resources, and the benefits and/or consequences of these activities.

To achieve a platinum level score, a repeat applicant needs to demonstrate a major improvement in its program with quantifiable outcomes. Raw Materials Company received a Platinum Award in the category of Program Operator and another for Sustainable Service or Product.

RMC is an approved processor under the Stewardship Ontario program and specializes in the collection and recycling of single-use alkaline batteries. The company uses a mechanical process that is able to recover 100% of the component materials of an alkaline battery for reuse. Over 86% of the recovered materials are upcycled into premium products. As a result, none of the component materials go into the landfill. 

Raw Materials Company is also an approved collector for batteries under the incentivized Stewardship Ontario program. Using the incentives provided through the program, RMC has propelled Ontario collections to new heights with innovative collection methods like its successful Curbside Battery Recycling program. 

In 2012, Durham Region broke the Guinness World Record for most batteries collected in a 24 hour period using the curbside program. They collected 11,221 lbs in 24 hours and 58,778 lbs in five days of collection. 

This November, several more Ontario communities have opted in and will be participating in the curbside program including the Region of Durham, Centre and South Hastings County, Prince Edward County, Dufferin County and the City of Peterborough. 

“Municipalities recognize that curbside collection of batteries is the most convenient for their residents. Those communities that are serious about diverting this harmful waste from landfill have been inquiring about the program and there are several new additions on deck for the Spring 2014 delivery," explained James Ewles, President of Raw Materials Company. 

For those communities that are not serviced by curbside collection, RMC has also established over 3300 collection points for dead batteries across the province, making battery recycling accessible to the majority of Ontarians.

Ontario residents can find their closest recycling point by typing in their postal code or city name into this handy recycling site finder.

Port Colborne, ON– Over a three-week period beginning November 4^th, close to 300,000 households across Ontario simultaneously cleaned out their junk drawers and recycled 20,729 kilograms of dead batteries through municipal curbside collection programs.

Because batteries are generated in small quantities by everyone, the 96% participation rate of Ontario’s Blue Box program provides an ideal platform on which to piggyback the collection of rechargeable and single-use consumer batteries.

Leading up to November 4^th, residents in participating municipalities were sent clearly marked battery-recycling bags in which they put all of their used household batteries. Residents put their bag of batteries out with their blue box for collection and proper recycling just after the change to daylight savings time when they would typically replace the batteries in their smoke detectors.

Several Ontario communities offered the battery collection as an extension to their curbside Blue Box program including the Region of Durham, Centre & South Hastings County, Prince Edward County, Dufferin County and the City of Peterborough.

Once collected at the curbside, the batteries were picked up and recycled by Raw Materials Company Inc. (RMC) in Port Colborne, Ontario.

“The response from our residents has been fantastic, we’re basically doubling down on diversion. We continue to collect as many batteries in these two one-week curbside collections as we do all year at our Hazardous Waste depots” says Craig Bartlett, Manager of Waste Operations for the Region of Durham. “RMC has made the process very simple by supporting us with all the necessary equipment and assisting us with any regulatory and logistical aspects of the program.”

Every battery collected is recycled by RMC to the highest environmental standard achievable in North America. Virtually 100% of each single-use battery is recovered and over 86% of the materials in those batteries are upcycled – that is, they become feedstock in both biological systems as agricultural fertilizer and in industrial systems for the manufacturing of new products.

Materials like zinc, manganese, potassium and steel are recovered and upcycled rather than disposed of in a landfill or converted into smelter slag, which is commonly used as aggregate replacement in other single-use battery collection programs. RMC’s recycling process sends no materials to landfill.

The program is made possible through the Stewardship Ontario Battery Incentive Program (BIP) that was created on behalf of battery manufacturers as a means to increase the collection of batteries in the province of Ontario.  Through this program RMC funds municipalities to cover the costs of the curbside battery collection.

“Diverting batteries away from disposal is a joint effort requiring program financing by battery manufacturers via Stewardship Ontario, the environmental leadership of Ontario municipalities, the active participation of residents and RMC’s effective battery recycling process”, says Cory Graper of Raw Materials Company Inc.

Additional curbside collections are scheduled for March 2014. Any Ontario community that operates a curbside recycling program is eligible to work with RMC under the BIP.

For more information about the program, visit the Curbside Battery Recycling page or contact Cory Graper (cgraper@rawmaterials.com) at 905-658-1647.

Kingston, ON - Cory Graper of Raw Materials Company and Ben Santucci of Westchester Logistics delivered a second cheque for $1,800 in support of Corus Entertainment's Clothes for Kids Campaign. The donation was made on behalf of environmentally conscious Kingstonians at the CKWS TV office in Kingston on December 12th, 2013.

The proceeds come from 7200 lbs. of used household batteries that have been recycled at the three local Canadian Tire stores in Kingston since May. Year to date the program has raised over $3400.00 for the Clothes for Kids charity. 100% of the proceeds are used to purchase warm winter clothes for children in need throughout the Kingston area.

The Clothes for Kids battery-recycling program is a collaborative effort between Corus Entertainment, Canadian Tire, Westchester Logistics and Raw Materials Company; an Ontario based recycling company that is able to upcycle over 86% of the battery contents for reuse in new products and generates no landfill waste.

The recycling program is a great way for people to support two worthwhile causes at once without ever having to open up their wallets. "People can clean out their junk drawers, recycle their batteries and support this local charity in need. It's a great cause and there's no cost to participate," said Cory Graper.

"This initiative is a win/win for all concerned. We're able to save literally tons of single-use batteries from ending up in our landfill sites, and at the same time help provide clothes for kids this winter," explained Grant Barber of Corus Entertainment.

Corus Entertainment's Clothes for Kids battery program has recycled more than 16,000 lbs of used household batteries since its inception in November of 2012.

The battery-recycling program is ongoing, so anyone planning a trip to the local Canadian Tire stores over the holidays should bring along their dead batteries and recycle them for this great cause.

You can also support the Clothes for Kids campaign as an individual, group or as an organization by purchasing a new snowsuit or by making a monetary donation that will be used to purchase one. If you would like to make a donation, contact Kristin Moore at Corus Entertainment by email (Kristin.Moore@corusent.com). 

Port Colborne, ON – More than 500,000 homes across Ontario will have an opportunity to recycle used household batteries at the curb during the months of March and April. The Curbside Battery Recycling Program is made possible through Stewardship Ontario’s Curbside Battery Recovery Incentive (CBRI), a program funded by the battery manufacturers that gives people a convenient option to recycle this hard to manage waste.

The curbside battery recycling program began in 2012 and is offered bi-annually around daylight savings time when homeowners are reminded to change the batteries in their smoke alarms. The timing of the program is not only for convenience, but acts as a great reminder for people to think about fire safety, their batteries and the best ways to manage them.

This spring, curbside battery collections will be provided in the Region’s of Niagara, Durham and Quinte as well as Dufferin County, the Cities of Peterborough, Orillia and Thunder Bay. Residents of these communities are encouraged to visit their municipal website for specific program information including any setout instructions and collection dates.

“Curbside collection is the most convenient method for people to recycle their used batteries. Using this method of collection, we are increasing participation and collection rates which is greatly reducing the amount of batteries entering our community landfills.” explains Cory Graper of Raw Materials Company. Last year alone, the curbside battery program recycled 80,000 lbs of used household batteries, diverting harmful materials from local landfills and giving them a second chance at life.

Raw Materials Company has patented a unique process that is capable of recovering 100% of each alkaline battery recycled with no materials going to landfill. Up to 92% of each battery is upcycled, which means that the materials are used to displace the use of equivalent virgin materials in the manufacture of new products. The zinc, manganese and potassium are reused as a micronutrient additive in commercial fertilizers and the steel is reused in the manufacture of automobiles and appliances. All of the recovered materials are sold back into the marketplace within 300 miles of RMC’s Port Colborne, ON facility.

For those people living in communities that are not participating in the curbside collection, there are more than 3300 recycling locations for used batteries at municipal facilities and retailers across the province. Larger battery types such as a lead acid battery must be taken to a Municipal Hazardous & Special Waste (MHSW) Depot or a participating retailer. To find a location near you, please visit www.makethedrop.ca

Most alkaline batteries that we use everyday do not require any special preparation before storage or recycling. However, lithium type batteries including all button cells and any 9 & 6 volt batteries must have their terminals taped to reduce any risk of short circuit. For more information on preparing your batteries for recycling, please visit www.rawmaterials.com/page/education/prepare-batteries/.  

Port Colborne, ON - Wayne Elliott and James Ewles of Raw Materials Company were recognized with a Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Award (NEYA) at the organization’s annual Awards Gala held at the Sheraton Hotel in Niagara Falls on Friday March 7th, 2014.

The Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Awards honour enterprising people whose businesses have made significant differences in the community, and in our lives.

This year’s gala was attended by some of the best and brightest business leaders from across Niagara Region.

Raw Materials Company, a Port Colborne based battery recycler, received NEYA’s Technological Innovation Award for its patented battery recycling technology. The RMC 3500 was specifically designed to recycle alkaline batteries, which account for 80% of all the primary single-use consumer batteries sold on the Ontario market every year.

RMC’s process is unique because it recovers 100% of each alkaline battery processed for reuse. No part of the battery is sent to the landfill. Up to 92% of the component materials are upcycled, meaning they’re reused in applications that they were originally intended for. The zinc, manganese, potassium and steel recovered from alkaline batteries displace the need for equivalent virgin materials and the energy and resources required to mine them from ore.

Ontario’s Provincial Battery Program is one of the fastest growing programs of its kind and has achieved some of the highest recycling efficiencies in the world.

“It’s refreshing to know that Ontario’s consumer batteries collected under the current Provincial MSHW Program are managed responsibly, right here in Ontario, ” said James Ewles, President of Raw Materials Company.  “As with any waste derived from Ontario that is hazardous or designated as special waste, we need to encourage environmentally sustainable solutions that promote up-cycling of materials rather than down-cycling or disposal of wastes and resources.”

RMC has the capacity to recycle all of the primary single-use batteries sold across Canada annually.

Raw Materials Company employs 47 full time staff from Port Colborne and the surrounding area. The company strives to be a positive influence in the community through its support of local organizations such as Port Cares and through its work repurposing an old industrial site into what is now a beautiful park and one of the best vantage points for ship watching on the Great Lakes – Derek Point.  

RMC has been the recipient of several awards over the last two years for its innovative recycling programs and environmentally responsible recycling technology for consumer batteries. 

Sault Ste. Marie, ON– There’s a new fundraising drive happening in the Sault and it won’t cost anything for the community to participate, except for those dead household batteries we’ve all been storing for years.  

Mildred Brodie of the Sault Ste. Marie Salvation Army Food Bank worked with Darrin Gatto, a contractor for Raw Materials Company (RMC) and Todd Black from the Sault Canadian Tire store to setup a public recycling program for used household batteries. 

The best part of this new program is that for every pound of single-use batteries the community recycles at the Canadian Tire store on McNabb Street, a monetary donation will be made by RMC and DG Contracting on behalf of local residents to support the Salvation Army Food Bank. 

The Sault Ste. Marie Salvation Army Food Bank offers emergency, non-perishable food items to individuals and families in need. 

“Some of our most successful collection points recycle batteries in support of local charities,” said James Ewles, President of Raw Materials Company.  RMC collects and recycles the batteries at their Port Colborne, Ontario facility upcycling the battery components including zinc, manganese, iron and potassium for reuse in new products.  This reduces the need to mine these materials from ore, and greatly reduces the production of green house gasses, a major contributor to global warming. 

Anyone living in the community can recycle their household batteries conveniently for free during normal operating hours at the Canadian Tire.

Recycling batteries in Ontario hasn’t always been convenient. In 2009, very few public facing collection sites existed in the province resulting in stagnant recycling rates of less than 5%. Today, Raw Materials Company, its dedicated collection network of more than 3500 sites and Stewardship Ontario’s Battery Incentive Program have helped increase recycling rates to approximately 20% of all the available primary batteries sold in Ontario last year. 

Batteries should not be thrown into the garbage. In Ontario, all battery types are designated as either hazardous or special waste requiring proper end of life management. 

During the same visit, RMC also setup public facing recycling points for household batteries at the Shaw Communications building, Battery Experts and at the Home Hardware stores in the Sault, Bruce Mines and Echo Bay areas.

The batteries recycled from all of these locations will be processed using the most environmentally sustainable technology available in the world. Battery components are mechanically crushed and separated into various metals, minerals, plastic and paper. 100% of the materials are reused and more than 86% of the battery components are upcycled. None of the battery materials enter the landfill and all recovered products are reused by industry within a few hundred miles of the RMC facility. Proper recovery and reuse of these materials reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% compared to mining and refining these materials from ore. 

To learn more about how batteries are recycled, or to find the recycling point nearest you, visit www.rawmaterials.com 

Learn more about RMC's fundraising options for Ontario based non-profit organizations. 

Port Colborne, ON– The final drums filled with household batteries have been processed and Ontario’s spring curbside recycling numbers are in. 

Throughout the months of March and April more than 30 communities across Ontario had the opportunity to conveniently recycle their household batteries during a special collection at the curbside. More than 62,000lbs of batteries were recycled, a 67% increase over spring collections last year with a fall collection still on the horizon. 

“The program seems to be well received by every community that participates,” said Cory Graper of Raw Materials Company (RMC). RMC is the Port Colborne based battery recycler that helped develop the Ontario curbside battery program in cooperation with Stewardship Ontario and several Ontario municipalities. 

“Besides collecting and properly diverting all these batteries from landfill, we’re also raising awareness that there’s more to recycling than just blue box materials,” said Tanya Delany, Hazardous & Electronic Waste Supervisor at Quinte Waste Solutions in Trenton. “This is where the Blue Box [a familiar program] meets Orange Drop a slightly lesser known option to recycle hazardous waste.” 

Household batteries along with 9 other categories of hazardous waste can be recycled year round for free at Municipal Hazardous & Special Waste (MHSW) depots found in most municipalities throughout Ontario.  To find your MHSW depot you can search Stewardship Ontario’s Orange Drop website at www.makethedrop.ca. 

Recycling batteries in Ontario hasn’t always been convenient. In 2009, very few public facing collection sites existed in the province resulting in stagnant recycling rates of less than 5%. The introduction of Stewardship Ontario’s Battery Incentive program has allowed RMC to open 3500 new battery collection sites across the province from Thunder Bay to Fort Erie.  Access to convenient battery recycling for Ontario residents has helped increase collections to approximately 20% of the batteries sold in just over three years, making Ontario’s battery recycling program the fastest growing and most successful program in North America. 

The batteries recycled from the curbside collections will be processed using the most environmentally sustainable technology available in the world. Battery components are mechanically crushed and separated into various metals, minerals, plastic and paper. 100% of the materials are reused and more than 86% of the battery components are upcycled. None of the battery materials enter the landfill and all recovered products are reused by industry within a few hundred miles of the RMC facility. Proper recovery and reuse of these materials reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by over 80% when compared to mining and refining these materials from ore. 

Any Ontario community that wants to provide the curbside battery collection can receive an incentive to help cover the logistical and promotional costs of the program. The incentive is provided through the Stewardship Ontario Battery Incentive Program (BIP) that was created on behalf of battery manufacturers as a means to increase the collection of batteries in the province of Ontario.  

“Diverting batteries from landfill is a joint effort requiring program financing by battery manufacturers through Stewardship Ontario, the environmental leadership of Ontario municipalities, the active participation of residents and our sustainable battery recycling process,” said Cory Graper of Raw Materials Company Inc.

Fall curbside collections are scheduled for November. To learn more about Ontario’s battery recycling programs or to find a municipal or retail recycling point for household batteries in your community, visit www.rawmaterials.com. 

Raw Materials Company (RMC) is honored to be attending Ontario's Science and Technology Trade Mission to China from October 26^th - Nov 7^th, 2014.

While in China, RMC will be attending the 4th China Jiangsu Conference for International Technology Transfer and Commercialization to discuss the importance of battery recycling programs to the environment.

Approximately 60 Ontario businesses in the clean technology and science sectors will be taking part in Kathleen Wynne’s first international trade mission as Premier.  The mission builds on Ontario’s Going Global Trade Strategy that is meant to help Ontario’s small to medium sized enterprises expand into priority markets such as China.

“Ontario welcomes investments from China, and my government is taking the steps needed to ensure that Ontario remains North America’s top destination for foreign direct investment. I look forward to strengthening our economic ties with China so we can continue to prosper and grow together,” said Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario. 

Port Colborne, ON– James Ewles, President of Raw Materials Company Inc. (RMC), has been recognized as one of Canada's 2015 Clean50 leaders in sustainability and clean capitalism. Mr. Ewles received the distinguished award at the Delta Management Clean50 Summit in Toronto, Ontario on September 17, 2014.

Canada’s Clean50 Awards are announced annually by the Delta Management Group to recognize those 50 individuals or small teams from 16 different categories who have done the most to advance the cause of sustainability and clean capitalism in Canada over the past 2 years. The Clean50 Summit provides attendees the opportunity to meet with other business and sustainability-focused leaders as well as the opportunity to expand on a community of likeminded individuals to accelerate meaningful and much needed action.

“Honourees are chosen after rigorous screening and research by Delta Management, with advice from internal researchers and external advisors, and were selected from an initial pool of over 550 well qualified candidates,” explained Gavin Pitchford, Chief Talent Officer, Delta Management Group.

Mr. Ewles received the award in the Primary Resources category for his role in shaping sustainable policy for the recycling of primary single-use batteries in Ontario. His leadership and guidance has positioned RMC as the industry front-runner, using innovative collection programs and a world class recycling technology to safely manage the household batteries recycled throughout the province.

“Raw Materials Company sets the industry standard for alkaline battery recycling. Our patented technology is able to upcycle up to 92% of the contents of a battery into new products," according to Ewles. “The recovered materials are reused in the local steel and agricultural industries all within a few hundred miles of RMC’s ISO 14001 certified processing facility.”

Processing of all the primary batteries sold in North America using RMC’s technology vs. the next best technology for a year would conserve 184,000 Megawatt-hours of energy (enough to power over 18,000 homes), save 41,100 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (about 2/3rds of what a zinc smelter produces annually) and eliminate 16,300 tonnes of solid waste a year (over 2,300 full municipal garbage trucks).

“The team at RMC are world leading DE-energizer eagles, transforming over 4 million pounds of consumer batteries a year into useful raw materials,” said Gavin Pitchford.

About Raw Materials Company:

Raw Materials Company is the industry leading battery recycling company whose process achieves the highest recovery and recycling rate in North America. RMC was established in 1985 and employs 50 people in the community of Port Colborne. RMC is an approved transporter and processor under the Stewardship Ontario Battery Incentive Program.

Kingston, ON - On Tuesday, October 7^th, 2014, Cory Graper of Raw Materials Company and Ben Santucci of Westchester Logistics presented Corus Entertainment with a $1000 cheque in support of Corus’ Clothes for Kids Campaign.

The donation comes from 4000 lbs. of household batteries that were recycled by the local community at the three Canadian Tire stores in Kingston as well as from the Corus Entertainment building on Queen Street over the past year.

“This program has been a huge success for us in terms of how many batteries have been recycled, but what’s more important is that the charity is able to go out and purchase warm clothes for these local children,” said Cory Graper of Raw Materials Company.

Every year, Corus’ Clothes for Kids campaign provides local children in need with warm clothing for winter. Local community groups, businesses and individuals can donate snowsuits to the charity or make a monetary donation that will be used to purchase one. Since the start of the Clothes for Kids battery recycling program in November 2012, more than 20,000 lbs of household batteries have been recycled, raising $4,400 for the local charity.

“With the cold weather on our doorstep, we want to encourage residents and local businesses to recycle their batteries at one of these Canadian Tire stores so that we can come back and present another cheque before Christmas,” said Ben Santucci of Westchester Logistics. “If we can recycle another 3000 lbs. before December 31st, we’ll beat last year’s record.”

Anyone who is interested in supporting Clothes for Kids with a donation of a snowsuit or money to purchase one, please contact Kristin Moore at Corus Entertainment by email (Kristin.Moore@corusent.com).

Toronto, ON - Each year the RCO Awards Gala recognizes and celebrates the innovation and achievements of both public and private sector organizations in waste reduction and recycling. This year the Awards Gala was attended by 60 organizations and was hosted at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex in Toronto on October 23rd, 2014.

Raw Materials Company received awards in several categories including a top score or Platinum award for Sustainable Product and Service, a Platinum award for Program Operator and a Gold award in the recently added Partnership category.

A team of seasoned waste industry professionals judges each award category and applications are reviewed both individually and then collaboratively to arrive at a final score. Judges are looking at the range and quantities of materials recycled and the markets developed for those materials. They also consider an organization’s processing capacity and its due diligence in tracking materials to their final disposition.

“As a specialty recycler, RMC has a very high diversion rate which contributes significantly to achieving the top score,” explained Diane Blackburn, Events Manager at the Recycling Council of Ontario.

“RMC is appreciative of RCO’s recognition of the hard work required to achieve these awards," said James Ewles, President of Raw Materials Company. “We are proud of our current progress and remain diligent in our efforts to help the Ontario primary battery program be the first to meet a mandated collection target in North America." 

Raw Materials Company, an approved collector and processor under the Stewardship Ontario Battery Incentive Program has an extensive collection network across Ontario that provides consumers ease of access to recycle their batteries. As a result, RMC has increased its collections of primary batteries by more than 20% year-to-date.

"We've introduced a new province wide recycling competition for elementary and secondary schools and we've expanded the curbside battery recycling program by 150,000 homes this fall" said Ewles. 

Raw Materials Company has built effective partnerships with Ontario municipalities, supporting local waste diversion programs with innovative recycling options such as curbside battery recycling that is currently offered to approximately 500,000 homes across the province bi-annually.

The company’s biggest contribution to waste diversion in Ontario is its environmentally sustainable recycling process for primary alkaline batteries. RMC’s Ontario-made solution is a mechanical process that separates the component materials of an alkaline battery.  Separating the component materials using the RMC process produces the highest alkaline battery recycling efficiency in the world (up to 92%) where the components of a single use battery are upcycled into products that are environmentally beneficial and sustainable. 100% of each battery is reused and no materials are sent to the landfill.

About Raw Materials Company

Raw Materials Company is the industry leading battery recycling company whose process achieves the highest recovery and recycling rate in North America. RMC was established in 1985 and employs 50 people in the community of Port Colborne, Ontario. RMC is an approved transporter and processor under the Stewardship Ontario Battery Incentive Program.

Peterborough, ON - The results are in and this year’s winner of the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge (OSBRC) is Rhema Public School of Peterborough County, Ontario.

More than 57,000 students and staff from 100 schools across the province participated in the 2014/2015 OSBRC to recycle single-use batteries. Rhema earned 13,603 points with each student recycling a whopping 10 times what the average Canadian household accumulates in an entire year.              

In total, 25,628 kilograms (56,500 pounds) were recycled and diverted from landfills across Ontario, of which 22,823 kilograms were single-use batteries. For all of their hard work and dedication, Rhema Public School received a first place trophy and a cheque for $4,498.

“My students bought into the challenge from the beginning,” said Joel Slofstra, Principle at Rhema Christian School. “It’s awesome to see a group of kids so excited about taking care of the environment, learning things that they will take with them for the rest of their lives.”

The prize money Rhema received will be used to purchase gym and science equipment and a portion will be used to publish the school’s Bird Guide. The rest of the money will go toward the construction of an outdoor eco-classroom.

“These are things that the class will be able to look back on and say - I was a part of that!" added Mr. Slofstra.

Coming in second place was Fairmont Public School of London, Ontario. Fairmont earned 12,492 points and a cheque for $2249. In Third place was Central Baptist Academy of Brantford with 5,858 points. They were awarded a cheque for $1,349.

“Everyone that participated this year did a fantastic job,” said Sarah Lacharity of Raw Materials Company. “We’re very pleased with the results and in the fall we’ll be including more schools and we’ll recycle even more batteries!”

Funding for the transportation and recycling of the batteries was provided through the Stewardship Ontario Orange Drop program.

Prize money is awarded based on the total number of alkaline batteries collected during the contest. For every kilogram of single-use alkaline batteries recycled, RMC pays money into a provincial prize pool to award the top three schools. To level the playing field, scores for each school are based on the average weight of batteries collected per student and staff enrolled. Rhema Public School was one of the smallest schools participating in this year’s Challenge.

The OSBRC is meant to teach children and their families about the proper ways to handle, store and recycle batteries at home and at school. The program offers many free resources for educators and there is no cost for a school to participate.

About Raw Materials Company:

Raw Materials Company is the industry leading battery recycling company whose process achieves the highest recovery and recycling rate in North America. RMC was established in 1985 and employs 50 people in the community of Port Colborne, Ontario. RMC is an approved transporter and processor under the Stewardship Ontario Battery Incentive Program. 

Port Colborne, ON - If you live in the Niagara region you’re probably aware that household batteries should be recycled. The Region was the first in the Province to provide its communities with an annual curbside collection for single-use batteries and they host several Hazardous Waste Days throughout the year.

Rounding out these convenient recycling options, another stream of batteries trickles in all year long from local retailers that have volunteered their time to collect batteries from the public every day they’re open.

Sarah Lacharity of Raw Materials Company stopped by Boggio Pharmacy in Port Colborne, a small community of 18,000, to congratulate them for recycling more than 2000-kilograms of household batteries.

“This is a very significant milestone and Boggio Pharmacy should be very proud of their achievement,” said Sarah Lacharity of Raw Materials Company. “We have many dedicated retailers across Ontario that are helping communities to divert household batteries from landfill, they all deserve to be recognized for their efforts. This is a great example for what is possible under the Orange Drop program when local businesses and the community come together to collect and recycle batteries.”

The Boggio Family of Pharmacies are four of a handful of retailers in the Niagara region that are providing this value added recycling service to its customers free of charge.

“We had already been recycling expired medications and sharps at our four pharmacies throughout the Niagara region,” said Sharon Riddell, Operations Manager at Boggio Pharmacy in Port Colborne. “We wanted to provide our customers with a convenient way to recycle the batteries they were purchasing at our stores and we figured the easier it was, the more likely people would participate.”

Boggio Pharmacy in Port Colborne became a public recycling point for single-use batteries in July 2011. Since then, the Port Colborne pharmacy has helped the community recycle 2,055 kg of batteries, diverting harmful chemicals and reusable materials from the local landfill.

“We know from experience that recycling programs must be convenient for the user in order to be successful. Like many Ontario municipalities, Niagara Region is fortunate to have local retailers providing residents with alternative avenues to conveniently recycle items. Locations, such as Boggio, compliment Niagara’s various, existing diversion programs. Boggio should be applauded for their commitment to their customers and our local environment,” said Alan Caslin, Niagara Regional Chair.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve our customers’ experience at each of our locations,” added Kyle Boggio, Pharmacist at Boggio Pharmacy.  

To learn how to store batteries in your home and how to prepare them for recycling, please visit www.rawmaterials.com/page/education/prepare-batteries/.

To search for a battery recycling point near you, please click here.

Port Colborne, ON – In the first two weeks of November 544,000 homes in Durham Region, Simcoe County, Dufferin County, Hastings and Prince Edward County, City of Barrie, City of Guelph, City of Orillia and the Town of Blue Mountains as well as a host of other Ontario municipalities will receive a special curbside collection of household batteries.

Twice a year, Raw Materials Company of Port Colborne teams up with Stewardship Ontario to provide municipalities across the Province with a curbside battery collection. This year a record 544,000 homes in 56 Ontario municipalities will be offered this important environmental service.

In most of these communities, the battery collection event runs just after the clocks change for daylight savings when fire departments remind citizens to change the batteries in their smoke alarms.

To participate, residents simply put batteries into a zip lock bag and place them at the curb with other recyclables on recycling day.

In the last four years, battery recycling in Ontario has skyrocketed. Prior to 2011, Ontarians recycled less than 5% of single-use batteries available. In 2014, Ontarians recycled 24% of single-use batteries sold in the same year – the highest verified collection rate in North America.

The reason for this dramatic increase in battery recycling is a battery incentive program (BIP) launched by Stewardship Ontario in 2011 and funded by battery manufacturers. The BIP provides battery transporters and recyclers with incentives for the collection and recycling of batteries. As a result, curbside collections of household batteries have diverted hundreds of thousands of pounds of primary batteries from Ontario landfills.

 “The financial incentives funded by battery manufacturers help to offset municipal costs of providing residents with this convenient service. Once collected, Raw Materials Company in Port Colborne, Ontario processes the batteries to produce recycled commodities that are used in manufacturing. Residents love the program because it's convenient,” said Chris Fast, Waste Services Coordinator for the County of Dufferin.

About Raw Materials Company:

Raw Materials Company is an industry leading battery-recycling company. RMC was established in 1985 and employs 50 people in the community of Port Colborne, Ontario. RMC is an approved transporter and processor under the Stewardship Ontario Battery Incentive Program.

Toronto, ON - On October 21 2015, Raw Materials Company (RMC) received a Top Score for Product Innovation at the Recycling Council of Ontario’s Awards Luncheon at the Allstream Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

This year applicants were scored for overall waste minimization including their ability to reduce waste, to prevent waste and their success in sorting and tracking waste materials to recycling.

As a service provider, Raw Materials Company collects designated waste for the Stewardship Ontario Municipal Hazardous & Special Waste Program (MHSW). The company specializes in battery recycling and offers expanded collection services for other waste materials to support the unique recycling needs of businesses and municipalities in Ontario.

Raw Materials Company collects batteries, electronic waste, fluorescent tubes, mercury and lead bearing waste. In 2014 RMC collected more than three million kilograms of waste material in Ontario.  

In September of 2014, Raw Materials Company launched the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge (OSBRC), a new and innovative education campaign for elementary and secondary schools.  The Challenge teaches children and their families how to safely store batteries in the home and how to prepare them for recycling. The program is part of a larger strategy to raise awareness for battery recycling among Ontario’s youth.

“The lessons and positive habits these students are learning will stay with them for the rest of their lives,” said Andrew Paupst of Raw Materials Company.

Last year, more than 56,000 students participated in the Challenge and together they recycled 25,628 kilograms.

Since the introduction of the Province’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation for primary batteries, RMC has setup 4299 public recycling points at retail stores and other public facing facilities in Ontario. The company has also facilitated curbside battery collections working alongside more than 56 municipalities.

“Our primary function is to provide a sustainable recycling solution for alkaline batteries,” said James Ewles, President of Raw Materials Company. “We’ve invested heavily in a recycling technology that is able to recover 100 percent of an alkaline battery. The materials are all reused by industry and this helps displace the need to mine the same amount materials from ore, a major cause of green-house-gas emissions.”

In 2014, the Province recycled 24% of the single-use batteries sold in the same year – the highest verified collection rate in North America.

About Raw Materials Company:

Raw Materials Company is an industry leading battery-recycling company. RMC was established in 1985 and employs 50 people in the community of Port Colborne, Ontario. RMC is an approved transporter and processor under the Stewardship Ontario Battery Incentive Program.

Springfield, ON– On February 18th, Sarah Lacharity of Raw Materials Company along with friends Wiley and Craig, paid a visit to Springfield Public School to award Nyla with a Family Trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls!

Nyla’s school is participating in the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge and they are competing against 124 other schools in the Province to see which school can recycle the most batteries. The purpose of the challenge is to educate children and their families about the proper way to handle and store batteries in the home and why it’s important to recycle them when they no longer hold a charge.

Students that participate in the challenge can sign up to complete Student Missions for a chance to win prizes. Students that completed five missions by Family Day on February 15th were entered into a special draw for a family stay at Great Wolf Lodge.

Nyla was presented with a supersized post card at a National Battery Day assembly at her school and along with her classmates; she got a chance to meet Wiley, Great Wolf Lodge’s popular mascot.

The Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge started on the first day of Waste Reduction Week (October 19, 2015) and runs until Earth Day on April 22, 2016. The top three schools in the Province will walk away with a share of a Provincial prize pool and a portion of the program’s proceeds will also be donated to SickKids Hospital Foundation on behalf of all schools at the end of the challenge.

So far, these Ontario schools have recycled over 12,000 Kgs. At this rate, the prize pool is estimated to reach $10,000 by the end of the Challenge. Springfield Public School is currently one of the program’s top three collectors.

For more information about the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge, please visit www.rawmaterials.com/ontario-school-recycling-challenge

Proceeds for the collection and recycling of the batteries are made available through the Orange Drop program that is funded by primary battery manufacturers. For more information please visit www.makethedrop.ca

About Raw Materials Company:

Raw Materials Company is an industry leading battery-recycling company. RMC was established in 1985 and employs 50 people in the community of Port Colborne, Ontario. RMC is an approved transporter and processor under the Stewardship Ontario Battery Incentive Program.

Springfield, ON - On June 14th, Raw Materials Company of Port Colborne stopped by Springfield Public School to award them with a first place trophy and a cheque for $6,446!

Springfield Public School was the winner of the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge (OSBRC), a recycling competition between elementary and secondary schools in the province. The program reached 70,000 students and together they recycled over 1 million batteries this year! A 43% increase over last year’s Challenge. Springfield Public School earned 38,194 points, securing first place in the competition.

This was Springfield’s second year participating in the OSBRC. Last year they had a tough finish well outside of the leaderboard, but renewed buy-in and a fresh outlook made all the difference for this rural Ontario school this time around.

"We are ecstatic to learn the efforts of recycling batteries have made a difference for our little rural school in Springfield but more importantly for the environment,” said Sheri Webb, Secretary at Springfield Public School. “It has been fantastic to see the students, staff, parents and community come together for a common goal. The students have learned so much through this process about how they can make a positive change in the world."  

Early in the Challenge, the school’s secretary Mrs. Webb invited students to create posters to hang around the school. Soon after, Mrs. McQuiggan’s grade 4/5 class jumped on board and Springfield’s program really took off after that.

As a part of the Challenge, students were invited to participate in Student Missions for a chance to win individual prizes. Students that completed five missions were given a certificate along with the title ‘Battery Boss’. To encourage the students to participate, the school setup a ‘Battery Boss Wall of Fame’ and every student that received a certificate had their picture put up on the wall. Springfield Public School had 64 Battery Bosses, the highest count out of all of the schools participating.

With help from their parents, these dedicated Battery Bosses and the students and staff of Springfield Public school made a tremendous effort to save dead batteries from the landfill in their community. They hung posters around town, reached out to the local press and once the word spread, community support and battery collections rallied.

“We were very impressed with Springfield’s campaign this year. It was great to see the community come together to support the local school and their efforts really paid off,” said Sarah Lacharity of Raw Materials Company. “It’s inspiring to see students rally behind an environmental cause and the local community and the environment will benefit from all of their hard work.”

Similar to last year’s winner, Springfield plans to use some of the money to plant some greenery and build a pergola over their outdoor eco-classroom.

"It's exciting to have extra funds to enhance our green space outside and continue to teach our children about the importance of being responsible for our environment. Students will know they played an important part in making our outdoor classroom a reality,” said Mrs Webb.

Woodstock Christian School, just down the road from Springfield, came in third place and received a cheque for $1,933. Quintilian Private School of Kingston finished in second and received $3,223. 10% of the prize pool will be donated to SickKids Foundation on behalf of all participants during a visit to the SickKids Children’s Hospital on June 22nd 2016.

The OSBRC is meant to teach children and their families about the proper ways to handle, store and recycle batteries at home and at school. The program offers many free resources for educators and there is no cost for a school to participate.

Prize money is awarded based on the total number of alkaline batteries collected during the contest. For every kilogram of single-use alkaline batteries recycled, RMC pays money into a provincial prize pool to award the top three schools.

Funding for the transportation and recycling of the batteries was provided through the Stewardship Ontario Orange Drop program.

Since 2015, schools participating in the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge have recycled more than 1.8 million household batteries, a 255% increase in school recycling since the Challenge started. 100% of the alkaline batteries they recycled are reused and nothing is sent to the landfill. Recycling displaces the need to mine for the equivalent amount of raw materials from ore, a major cause of green house gas emissions.

About Raw Materials Company:

Raw Materials Company is the industry leading battery recycling company whose process achieves the highest recovery and recycling rate in North America. RMC was established in 1985 and employs 50 people in the community of Port Colborne, Ontario. RMC is an approved transporter and processor under the Stewardship Ontario Battery Incentive Program. 

Toronto, ON– On June 22^nd, a small delegation from the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge (OSBRC) paid a visit to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) for a special tour and to make a donation to SickKids Foundation on behalf of all of the Challenge participants.

The OSBRC is a provincial recycling competition between elementary and secondary schools put on by Raw Materials Company of Port Colborne, Ontario. The program teaches children and their families how to properly manage batteries for recycling. The Challenge offers many free resources for educators and there is no cost for a school to participate. As a bonus, students and schools can win prizes for participating.

The program reached 70,000 students across Ontario and together they recycled more than 1 million batteries this year! A 43% increase over last year’s Challenge. The provincial prize pool reached a total of $12,892 and was awarded to the winning schools with $2,578 raised for SickKids Foundation!

“We are so grateful to the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge organized by Raw Materials Company and everyone involved in this initiative for their support of SickKids. Not only are they engaging the community and students across Ontario in a creative and educational way, they are also raising critical funds for the hospital,” said Constanze Bleeker, Associate for Events at SickKids Foundation.

Since 2015, schools participating in the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge have recycled more than 1.8 million used household batteries. 100% of the alkaline batteries collected are recycled and nothing is sent to the landfill. Recycling displaces the need to mine for the equivalent amount of raw materials from ore, a major cause of green house gas emissions.

“I’m very impressed with the enthusiasm and commitment the participating schools and students have shown for the environment,” said James Ewles, President of Raw Materials Company. “They did a fantastic job collecting these batteries for proper recycling and keeping them out of Ontario’s municipal landfills.

Elementary and secondary schools in the Province of Ontario are eligible to participate in the Challenge. Registration begins in September and the Challenge officially launches during Waste Reduction Week in October. For more information, please visit www.rawmaterials.com/ontario-school-recycling-challenge/

From left to right: Mike Audit, Mike Graybeil, Councillor Angie Desmarais, Scott Luey, Mayor John Maloney, Amanda Upper and Sarah Lacharity.

Port Colborne, ON – Two local companies have joined forces with the City of Port Colborne and Port Cares to build and manage a community garden at Lockview Park with the fresh produce going to the Port Cares Reach Out Food Centre.

On September 15th beginning at 5 p.m. (until 7 p.m.) there will be ground breaking ceremony at the new garden in Lockview Park and everyone is invited to come out and enjoy a barbecue. Tender Cuts will be onsite holding down the grill and non-perishable food donations to the Reach Out Food Centre will be accepted. Lockview Park is located between Chestnut Park and Lakeshore Catholic High School.

The space for the community garden was provided by the City of Port Colborne and together with staff from Marine Recycling Corporation and Raw Materials Company, a team has been working diligently to put the final touches on eight newly constructed garden boxes and a custom made sign.

The garden will be ready for its first growing season early this spring, and the group hopes that this barbecue will drum up some much needed support from local businesses and volunteers in the community.

“Right now we have the resources and volunteers to manage eight garden boxes, but with some additional corporate funds and community volunteers, we could have 30 before the end of the first season,” said Jordan Elliott of Marine Recycling Company. “There are a few plots available to the community, interested families, businesses or organizations can find applications at the BBQ.”

The Reach Out Food Centre typically supports 600 people every month, a third of which are children under the age of 18.

“Even when we experience seasonal declines in food bank activity, we’re still serving at least 500 people each month,” said Amanda Upper, Site Supervisor at Port Cares Reach Out Food Centre. “Fresh foods like produce are vital to a healthy diet and it’s especially difficult for families on fixed incomes to incorporate enough of it into their diet due to the costs of such foods.”

The food bank goes through approximately 15,000 pounds of food each month, including 1,000 pounds of produce which is donated to the food bank by local grocers, farmers, individual donors and existing community garden plots like the one at Lockview Park.

“The fruit and vegetables grown in this garden will directly benefit residents in our community who rely on the Port Cares Reach Out Food Centre,” said Mayor John Maloney. “I want to thank everyone at Marine Recycling Corporation and Raw Materials Company for stepping up to undertake this project.”

“Marine Recycling Corporation, Raw Materials Company and the City of Port Colborne are to be commended for their community leadership and investment. By working together, we are able to better utilize resources, provide wholesome and affordable food and provide people who would otherwise not have the opportunity with valuable skills and personal development,” said Christine Clark Lafleur, Executive Director, Port Cares. 

The Port Cares Reach Out Centre food bank serves the communities of Port Colborne and Wainfleet and is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 12:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. at 61 Nickel Street in Port Colborne.

If anyone from the community wants to help maintain the gardens next spring, please contact Sarah Lacharity at (905) 835-1203 or slacharity@rawmaterials.com