Port Colborne, ON – Raw Materials Company has been Independently audited under the CSA Group Guideline - CSA SPE-890-15. The guideline establishes a set of common definitions, performance metrics and reporting requirements to facilitate best practices for the accountable management of end-of-life (EOL) waste materials, including consumer batteries, from point of collection to final disposition.

“Not all battery recycling is the same, and some recycling processes can actually do more harm than good to the environment,” said James Ewles, President of Raw Materials Company. “This independent audit will help governments and policy makers that are responsible for regulating and approving recycling facilities, weigh the true benefits and shortcomings of the various treatment methods that exist for batteries and other waste materials.” 

World economies have started to transition from linear based models, where resources are extracted to make products destined for landfill, to a circular model where products are designed with recovery and recyclability in mind. 

“Guidelines like CSA SPE-890-15 will help to facilitate that transition,” said Ewles. “Its transparent standards and reporting requirements will give interested parties the ability to measure the environmental performance of different recycling technologies using the same ruler.” 

At the heart of the guide is a standard definition for the term recycling. It defines the ways that extracted resources can be reused for it to count toward a technology’s Recycling Efficiency Rate (RER).

“This section of the guide is very important. Before, it was largely open to interpretation and in many cases, recovered materials were simply being repurposed and not reused for their unique properties,” said Ewles. “The best way to reduce the green-house-gas emissions associated with mining and refining raw materials from ore and to preserve our natural resources, is to recover materials that already exist in consumer products and to reuse them in a manner that they were originally created for.”

The RMC 3500 recycling technology for alkaline batteries achieved a recycling efficiency score of 84% and an overall diversion score of 87%. That means 84% of the resources inside each alkaline battery processed using RMC’s technology, are reused in applications that the materials were originally mined for. 

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

Guelph, ON – On Monday, the City of Guelph kicked off its annual curbside collection for single-use household batteries. The Royal City is one of 69 Ontario municipalities that provides this convenient collection option to help its residents recycle this common waste.

Ontario’s curbside battery recycling program started in 2012 as a partnership between Raw Materials Company, the battery manufacturers and Ontario municipalities. It’s grown significantly over the years and is now offered to more than 1.3 million households annually. Since 2012, Ontarians have recycled 26 million household batteries at the curb, diverting harmful chemicals and reusable materials from landfills across the Province.

“Curbside collection is an effective way for municipalities to capture this common waste that’s accumulated in small quantities by almost every household,” said James Ewles, President of Raw Materials Company. “Municipalities that offer a curbside collection alongside a network of public recycling points are capturing two and three times more batteries than communities that only have recycling points.”

Each municipality that provides a curbside battery collection has it’s own unique setout requirements. The one thing that’s common between all of them, is that the collection is only offered at certain times of the year.  Batteries must not be setout with the recycling or garbage at any other time, and they should never be placed loose inside a recycling container or garbage bag. 

Some municipalities supply collection bags to residents that include the participation instructions written on the bag, while others ask residents to reuse a sandwich style bag with a zip tab. In either case, the bags are recycled. 

After each collection, the batteries are sent to Raw Materials Company in Port Colborne, Ontario where they are sorted by chemistry. The alkaline batteries are processed using the company’s patented recycling technology called the RMC 3500, which was specifically developed to recycle alkaline batteries.

“The minerals extracted from the batteries using RMC’s patented technology are refined and reused in the nutrient cycle,” said Ewles. “This not only conserves these precious resources; it also reduces green house gas emissions by up to 80% compared to mining and refining these same minerals from ore.”

The RMC 3500 has been independently audited under the CSA Group Guideline - CSA SPE-890-15. The guideline establishes a set of common definitions, performance metrics and reporting requirements to facilitate best practices for the accountable management of end-of-life (EOL) waste materials, including consumer batteries.

At the heart of the guide is a standard definition for the term recycling. It defines the ways that extracted resources must be reused for it to count toward a technology’s Recycling Efficiency Rate (RER).

The RMC 3500 recycling technology for alkaline batteries achieved a recycling efficiency score of 84% and an overall diversion score of 87%. That means 84% of the resources inside each alkaline battery processed using RMC’s technology, are reused in applications where the materials are given a second life.

The collection in the City of Guelph began on September 30th and will run until October 11th. For full participation instructions, a resident can visit the City of Guelph website. To see a full list of Ontario municipalities scheduled for this fall, please visit www.batteryrecycling.ca.

In 2018, Ontario residents recycled 50% of the single-use batteries they used that year.

Raw Materials Company is an industry leading battery-recycling company. Established in 1985, RMC employs more than 60 people in the community of Port Colborne, Ontario. RMC is an approved transporter and processor under the Stewardship Ontario Battery Incentive Program which is funded by the battery manufacturers.

On February 18th, the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge (OSBRC) randomly selected the winner of the first of two draws for a family stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls. The winner of the first draw was Kieran of St. Cecilia School in Nepean!

“Congratulations Kieren for completing all five student missions to become an official Battery Boss!” said Sarah Lacharity of Raw Materials Company. “Battery Bosses work extra hard each and every year to recycle as many batteries as they can for their schools and their communities. This year, Kieren is the lucky winner of a family stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls!”

Now in its sixth year, the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge has reached more than 470,000 students and staff and together they’ve recycled and diverted more than 8.8 million household batteries from community landfills across the Province.

The Challenge was developed to teach children and their families about the proper way to handle batteries at home and at school and how to prepare them for recycling when they no longer hold a charge. The OSBRC provides schools with a vast library of downloadable resources including grade appropriate lesson plans that tie into the curriculum, activity worksheets, various posters and more. 

In 2019, the OSBRC introduced new leaderboard categories where schools of equal size are now competing in the same bracket. Those new leaderboards are in addition to the popular OSBRC Pledge Prize, where every school that recycles at least 1.36 kilograms for each student enrolled is guaranteed a prize. The Challenge also rolled out a new Environmental Stewardship Award. 

“We really want to give every school the opportunity to walk away with a prize this year,” said Lacharity. “These students are working so hard for their schools, their communities and the SickKids Foundation and it’s important that we do our best to recognize each and every one of them.”

The batteries collected during the OSBRC are recycled at Raw Materials Company in Port Colborne, Ontario. The batteries are first sorted by an optical sorting machine that separates the batteries into various chemistry types. The alkaline batteries are then processed using RMC’s patented recycling technology which captures 100% of each alkaline battery to be reused. No part of the battery is sent to the landfill. 

Funding for the transportation and recycling of the batteries is provided by the battery manufacturers.

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.

On April 22^nd, the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge organized by Raw Materials Company of Port Colborne, randomly selected five student names to receive a $50 Visa gift card for completing all five Student Missions during the Challenge year! The OSBRC also randomly selected one lucky Battery Boss to win a family stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls! blah

“Each of these students setout on a journey to recycle household batteries to prevent recyclable materials from entering the landfill,” said Sarah Lacharity of Raw Materials Company. “Their actions helped to reduce the negative impacts of improper disposal while supporting their school’s effort to recycle as many batteries as possible.”

Congratulations!

$50 Visa Gift Card Winners

• Alia of St. John Paul II Catholic Elementary School
• Nick of St. John Paul II Catholic Elementary School
• Claudia of Montgomery Village Public School
• Ryan of St. Philomena
• Kallie of Grapeview Public School

Great Wolf Lodge Prize Draw Winner

Port Colborne, ON – The Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge created by Raw Materials Company and funded by the battery manufacturers, has announced the 2019 -2020 Challenge winners!

The Challenge came to an abrupt end at the end of March, as people across the world hunkered down to face a global challenge. With many shut down, OSBRC schools were given the option to request a final pickup or to hang on to the batteries recycled, to count toward next season. 

In all, RMC was able to process approximately 731,000 of the estimated 1 million batteries recycled this season, the balance of which will be applied to the next Challenge. Without further ado, the winners of the 2019 – 2020 Challenge were:

OSBRC Pledge Winners

There were also 15 schools that met or exceeded the OSBRC Pledge and each walked away with an equal share of the Pledge Prize. 

Environmental Award

This year’s recipient of the new Environmental Award, the first ever, was South Crosby Public School of Elgin, Ontario. 225 students and staff attend the rural Ontario school situated just off Highway 15 along the picturesque Rideau Canal that stretches from Kingston to Ottawa.  

The school’s eco-team, affectionately known as the “Green Panthers”, has worked around the clock on many different, but equally important initiatives all with the same goal; to make their community and their planet a better place to live. The school’s three main focuses are waste reduction, energy conservation and wildlife protection. 

South Crosby was also an active participant in the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge. At last count, the school had recycled 432 kilograms of batteries, or approximately 1.92 kilograms per student and staff enrolled. That accomplishment also earned the school an equal share of the OSBRC Pledge Prize for recycling as many batteries as they used during the Challenge.

Donation to SickKids Hospital Foundation

In spite of the challenges this year, the OSBRC still managed to raise $515.08 for the SickKids Hospital Foundation in Toronto. 

“A big thank you to everyone that recycled their batteries this year,” said Sarah Lacharity of Raw Materials Company. “Congratulations to all of the finalists on both leaderboards, all of the Pledge winners and South Crosby Public School. Great job!”

About the OSBRC

The Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge is a recycling competition between elementary and secondary schools across Ontario. The purpose of the Challenge is to teach students and their families how to safely handle batteries at home and at school and how to recycle them when they no longer hold a charge. Students, teachers, and their families have recycled 9.9 million single-use batteries since the program started in 2014. 

OSBRC schools have access to a vast library of downloadable resources including lesson plans that tie into the curriculum, various posters, activity worksheets and more. 

The batteries recycled during the OSBRC are recycled at Raw Materials Company in Port Colborne. RMC sorts the batteries by chemistry using an optical sorting machine. The alkaline batteries are processed using RMC’s patented recycling technology which captures 100% of each alkaline battery to be reused. No part of the battery is sent to the landfill.

Funding for the transportation and recycling of the batteries is provided by the battery manufacturers.

The Region of Peel kicked off its curbside collection for used household batteries on Monday. Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon are three of 40 Ontario communities taking part in the fall collection to divert household batteries from landfills across the Province. 

The set out instructions may differ slightly by municipality, but the basics of the program are the same everywhere. Municipalities provide the collection in the spring and/or fall and it’s usually timed to coincide with daylight savings when fire departments remind everyone to change the batteries in smoke alarms. Some municipalities send out collection bags, while others ask residents to use their own. In either case, people round up their used batteries and place them into a bag, sealing it with the zip tab. The bag is then set out with the recycling on a day advertised by the municipality. 

Curbside collection for household batteries is only provided by some municipalities at certain times of the year. Batteries must never be placed loose inside the blue box and should not be disposed of in the trash. If curbside collection is not an option in your area, visit www.rawmaterials.com/page/locations/ to find a free recycling point near you.

Ontario’s curbside battery recycling program is funded by Call2Recycle and its licensees.

After the collection, the batteries are shipped to the Raw Materials Company recycling facility in Port Colborne Ontario. The alkaline batteries recycled at the curb and across Ontario, are processed by Raw Materials Company using its patented recycling technology called the RMC 3500.  The RMC 3500 was specifically designed to reclaim the steel, nickel, zinc, manganese, and potassium from alkaline batteries. The process was independently audited by CSA Group Guideline – CSA SPE-890-15 and it achieved a recycling efficiency score of 84% and an overall diversion score of 87%. That means 84% of the materials inside a single alkaline battery are reused in applications they were originally mined for, displacing the need to mine for the equivalent amount of resources from ore, which is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions.

“1.3 million homes across Ontario now have a convenient option to recycle this common waste,” said James Ewles, President of Raw Materials Company. “Since its inception in 2012, Ontario residents have recycled more than 30 million household batteries at the curbside, putting the resources inside them back into Ontario’s circular economy.”

Raw Materials Company is an industry leading battery-recycling company. Established in 1985, RMC employs more than 60 people in the community of Port Colborne, Ontario. Raw Materials Company is a registered battery hauler and processor with the Resource Productivity & Recovery Authority (RPRA) under Ontario Regulation 30/20. The collection, transportation, and processing of primary and rechargeable consumer batteries in Ontario weighing less than 5kg is funded by battery producers.

Port Colborne, ON - The Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge awarded prizes to 13 schools and 11 students after a year-long challenge to recycle batteries. A little more than 990,000 batteries were recycled.

96 schools took part in the annual challenge created by Raw Materials Company. The goal was for each school to recycle its share of household batteries during the school year. In the end, 13 schools accomplished the goal and received an equal share of the OSBRC Pledge Prize.

"The OSBRC Pledge Prize was a big focus for us this year," said Sarah Lacharity of Raw Materials Company. "We wanted to put more emphasis on the group’s effort to recycle batteries and at the same time, recognize more schools by spreading the prize pool around. It was nice to see so many schools chip in and for many of them to take away a nice share of the prize pool".

OSBRC Pledge Prize Winners

• Glenburnie Public School (LDSB) - Glenburnie
• Bloomsburg Public School (GEDSB) - Waterford
• Central Baptist Academy (CBC) - Brantford
• Waterford Public School (GEDSB) - Waterford
• Port Royal Public School (TDSB) - Scarborough
• Prince Albert P.S. (DDSB) - Prince Albert
• Quintilian School (IND) - Kingston
• Springfield Public School (TVDSB) - Springfield
• Muskoka Christian School (MACS) - Utterson
• St. Mary Catholic High School (CDSBEO) - Brockville
• Port Rowan Public School (GEDSB) - Port Rowan
• Jarvis Community Christian School (Private) - Jarvis
• Belleville Christian School - Private (BCS) - Belleville

Environmental Award

Prince Albert Public School was also the recipient of the Raw Materials Company Environmental Award. The Environmental Award is given to the school that embodies the spirit of environmental activism.

"Choosing the recipient for this year's Environmental Award was tough," explained Lacharity. "In the end, it was the sheer number of things that Prince Albert was doing that set it apart from the other submissions we seen this year. They really deserve the award and we're very happy for them.

Prince Albert recycles ink toners, markers, art supplies, text books, snack wrappers and clothes. It also holds an annual Eco Market at Christmas time. A place where students can shop for gently used items. Prince Albert also takes part in many other activities that contribute to a better and healthier environment such as:

• One sided GOOS paper bins
• Pollinator garden
• WWF Fundraisers
• Stewards of Lake Scugog
• Adopted a local pond
• Annual "Pitch In" clean up
• Annual donation to the Ontario Turtle Conservation
• Great Bird Count
• Turn Down the Heat (sweater day)
• Annual audits of their electricity and paper use.

Student Mission Prize Winners

The OSBRC recognized 11 students for completing Student Missions during the Challenge. Ten of them received a $50 Visa Gift Card. The winners were:

• Kenton of Blessed Sacrament
• Bailey of Springfield Public School
• Troy of Springfield Public School
• Jack of Springfield Public School
• Sophia of Springfield Public School
• Jacob of Monsignor Michael O’Leary
• Layla of Monsignor Michael O’Leary
• Divya of Greensborough Public School
• Caralyn of Springfield Public School
• Aiden of Springfield Public School

Last but not least, Cohen of Springfield Public School was the winner of the Great Wolf Lodge Family Day prize draw. Cohen and his family received a voucher for a one-night stay to Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Donation to SickKids Hospital Foundation

Students and staff participating in the OSBRC also raised funds for the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto (SickKids). The money raised will go toward the construction of a state-of-the-art hospital and patient support centre. The OSBRC has raised $11,321.72 for SickKids since 2014.

About the OSBRC

The OSBRC is a recycling challenge for elementary and secondary schools across Ontario. The purpose of the Challenge is to teach students and their families how to safely handle batteries and how to recycle them. Students, teachers, and their families have recycled close to 12 million batteries since the program started in 2014. The Challenge has also awarded $92,704.73 to schools, students and the SickKids Foundation.

OSBRC schools can download resources, such as lesson plans, that tie into the curriculum. They can also download various posters, activity worksheets and more to keep recycling top of mind throughout the year.

The batteries recycled during the Challenge are recycled at Raw Materials Company in Port Colborne. RMC sorts the batteries by chemistry and then recycles the alkaline batteries using its patented recycling technology. 100% of each alkaline battery is reused and no part of the battery ends up in the landfill.

Funding for the transportation and recycling of the batteries is provided by the battery manufacturers.

Port Colborne, ON - A million homes across Ontario will take part in a curbside collection to recycle used household batteries this fall. The program was created to make battery recycling convenient, and to divert harmful chemicals and reusable materials from Ontario landfills.

Curbside battery recycling is only offered by some Ontario municipalities. Batteries must never be placed in the garbage or set out with recycling outside of a specific battery collection period. Recycling batteries prevents toxins from entering landfills, has a positive impact on the environment, prevents potential fires and contributes to a circular economy. Visit your municipal website to see if battery collection is offered in your community and to learn how to participate.

Ontario’s curbside battery recycling program is currently funded by Call2Recycle and its licensees. The program has captured 40 million household batteries since it began in 2012.

Once collected, the batteries are transported to Raw Materials Company, a recycling facility in Port Colborne, Ontario. After the batteries are thoroughly sorted by chemistry, the alkaline batteries are processed onsite using patented mechanical recycling technology.

The process was designed to recover steel, zinc, manganese, and potassium from alkaline batteries, to be reused in the manufacture of new products, contributing to the circular economy. New products like bicycles, pots and pans and golf clubs. To maximize reuse, the remaining battery types are sent on to processors that specialize in the recovery of those chemistries.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in batteries recycled at the curb during the pandemic,” said James Ewles, President of Raw Materials Company. “I encourage everyone that uses batteries, to recycle them at one of the many recycling points around the province or through one of the curbside collections if you’re living in a municipality that provides that service.”

If there is no curbside collection in your area, visit www.rawmaterials.com/page/locations/ or https://www.call2recycle.ca/locator/ to search for a free recycling point near you.

The Raw Materials Company recycling process was independently audited by CSA Group Guideline – CSA SPE-890-15. It achieved a recycling efficiency score of 84% and an overall diversion score of 87%.

About Raw Materials Company

Raw Materials Company is an industry leading battery-recycling company. Established in 1985, RMC employs more than 60 people in the community of Port Colborne, Ontario. Raw Materials Company is a registered battery hauler and processor with the Resource Productivity & Recovery Authority (RPRA) under Ontario Regulation 30/20. The collection, transportation, and processing of primary and rechargeable consumer batteries in Ontario weighing less than 5kg is funded by battery producers.

About Call2Recycle Canada, Inc.

Call2Recycle® is the provincially-approved consumer battery collection and recycling program for British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island, and operates as a registered Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Ontario according to the Ontario Batteries Regulation. Call2Recycle accepts household batteries (weighing up to 5 kg) for recycling and e-Mobility batteries used to power e-Bikes, e-Scooters, e-Hoverboards and e-Skateboards.

Since its inception in 1997, Call2Recycle has diverted over 30 million kilograms of batteries from Canadian landfills and meets or exceeds the most rigorous recycling standards for safe battery recycling and management. Working on behalf of its stakeholders and with a network of more than 9000 participating collection locations across Canada, Call2Recycle Canada continues its pursuit of ensuring responsible battery recycling is accessible for all. Learn more at call2recycle.ca or call 1.888.224.9764.

It's that time of year again, the wrap up to the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge brought to you by Raw Materials Company.

We want to thank all the teachers, staff, students, and their families for all of their efforts again this year. 141 schools took part in the Challenge this year. All together, we estimate that you recycled more than 350,000 household batteries, diverting reusable materials and harmful chemicals from landfills across Ontario!

We won't know for certain what the Pledge Prize pool will be until all the batteries have been collected over the next month or so. However, it currently stands at $1,523. At the time of writing this article, 6 schools are currently eligible for an equal share.

The Environmental Award is now worth $254. We'll go through all the submissions over the summer to determine a winner. And finally, the OSBRC raised approximately $761 for the SickKids Hospital Foundation. Great work everyone!

Next Steps

• Between now and June 24, 2022, we'll be contacting all OSBRC schools to arrange a time to pick up all the remaining batteries.
• The batteries collected from the schools will be sorted by chemistry and weighed at our facility in Port Colborne, Ontario.
• The actual amounts paid out to schools will be based on the actual weight of all the batteries recycled during the Challenge.
• The winning schools will be announced by September 12, 2022, and cheques will be delivered to schools at that time.

About the OSBRC

The OSBRC is a recycling challenge for elementary and secondary schools across Ontario. The purpose of the Challenge is to teach students and their families how to safely handle batteries and how to recycle them. Students, teachers, and their families have recycled more than 12 million batteries since the program started in 2014. The Challenge has also awarded $92,704.73 to schools, students, and the SickKids Foundation.

OSBRC schools can download resources, such as lesson plans, that tie into the curriculum. They can also download various posters, activity worksheets and more to keep recycling top of mind throughout the year.

The batteries recycled during the Challenge are recycled at Raw Materials Company in Port Colborne. RMC sorts the batteries by chemistry and then recycles the alkaline batteries using its patented recycling technology. 100% of each alkaline battery is reused and no part of the battery ends up in the landfill.

Port Colborne, ON– Raw Materials Company announced the winners of the 8th Annual Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge.

The Challenge began on October 18, 2021 and finished on May 13, 2022. The batteries recycled by 140 participating schools were then collected and processed at Raw Materials Company in Port Colborne, Ontario over the summer.

“We are pleased to announce that ten schools met or exceeded the OSBRC Pledge this year,” said Sarah Lacharity, OSBRC Program Coordinator at Raw Materials Company.

In no particular order, the winning schools were:

• Central Baptist Academy of Brantford
• Muskoka Christian School of Utterson
• Parkinson Centennial School of Orangeville
• Quintilian School of Kingston
• Roseneath Centennial Public School of Roseneath
• Springfield Public School of Springfield
• Mary Catholic High School of Brockville
• Westmount Junior School of Etobicoke
• Hermon School of Bancroft
• Mnjikaning Kedaaswin Elementary School of Rama

Each OSBRC Pledge winner earned an equal share of a $2,619.69 prize pool, funded by Raw Materials Company.

In addition, the OSBRC awarded St. Ann Catholic Elementary School of Fenwick, with the Raw Materials Company Environmental Award and a cheque for $261.97. The RMC Environmental Award is given to a school that truly embodies the spirit of recycling and environmentalism.

“St. Ann Catholic Elementary School has been participating in the OSBRC since 2015 and despite all the challenges with the pandemic, their Eco team was still very busy with a variety of environmental initiatives,” said Lacharity.

Schools participating in the OSBRC also raised $785.91 for the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The money raised will be used to build a state-of-the-art hospital and patient support centre. 

Registration for the 2022 -2023 Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge is now open. The Challenge officially begins on October 17, 2022 and runs until May 12, 2023.

About the OSBRC

The OSBRC is a recycling challenge for elementary and secondary schools across Ontario. The purpose of the Challenge is to teach students and their families how to safely handle batteries and how to recycle them. Students, teachers, and their families have recycled more than 12.5 million batteries since the program started in 2014. The Challenge has also awarded $94,010.90 to schools, students, and the SickKids Foundation.

OSBRC schools can download resources, such as lesson plans, that tie into the curriculum. They can also download various posters, activity worksheets and more to keep recycling top of mind throughout the year.

The batteries recycled during the Challenge are recycled at Raw Materials Company in Port Colborne. RMC sorts the batteries by chemistry and then recycles the alkaline batteries using its patented recycling technology. 100% of each alkaline battery is reused and no part of the battery ends up in the landfill.

The Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge, by Raw Materials Company, kicked off its annual Challenge today. The OSBRC will run until May 12, 2023.

The purpose of the OSBRC is to teach students and their families about the proper way to handle and store household batteries at home. The Challenge also gives participants a place to recycle them when they no longer hold a charge.

There are many resources to help teachers teach students about different types of batteries and how to tape the batteries that need it.

Each time a student recycles a battery, Raw Materials Company will make a donation to a prize pool that will payout in the following ways:

OSBRC Pledge Prize | 60% of the Prize Pool

Schools that recycle 1.36 kilograms for every student and staff enrolled will meet the OSBRC Pledge. 1.36 kilograms is what the average Canadian household accumulates in a single year. The Pledge prize is worth 60% of the prize pool.

Environmental Award | 10%

Schools that tell us about all the ways they're making a difference in their community will have a chance to win the Environmental Award. At the end of the Challenge, we'll review all the submissions and select one lucky winner!

SickKids Foundation | 30%

The OSBRC will donate 30% of the prize pool to the SickKids Foundation at the end of the Challenge on behalf of all participants.

In addition, students participating in the Challenge can also win prizes for their individual efforts.

Student Mission Draws

Students can win prizes for doing Student Missions. There are three draws during the year. The first draw is December 9th and it’s for a chance to win one of five $50 Visa gift cards.

The second draw is right before Family Day on February 21st. This is an exclusive draw for Battery Bosses - students that have completed all five battery missions. The lucky winner of this draw will win a family stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls!

The final draw for a chance to win one of five $50 Visa gift cards will take place right before Earth Day – April 21, 2023.

Best of luck this year!

Today is the final day of the Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge by Raw Materials Company. A special thank you to all the teachers, students, and their families for their hard work this year. 165 schools took the OSBRC Pledge this year, and we estimate that they recycled approximately 400,000 household batteries. Great job!

Together these schools did amazing work to divert harmful materials from community landfills across Ontario. As always, the OSBRC Pledge Prize pool will be finalized once all of the batteries have picked up and sorted over the next month. At first count however, it stands at $2,814 and it looks as though it will be split equally among nine schools!

The Environmental Award has reached $281. Our team will review all of the school submissions over the summer break, and we'll pick one lucky winner. Finally, the OSBRC raised approximately $844 for the SickKids Hospital Foundation!

Next Steps

• Between now and June 23, 2023, we'll be contacting all OSBRC schools to arrange a time to pick up all the remaining batteries.
• The batteries collected from the schools will be sorted by chemistry and weighed at our facility in Port Colborne, Ontario.
• The actual amounts paid out to schools will be based on the actual weight of all the alkaline batteries recycled during the Challenge.
• The winning schools will be announced by September 11, 2023, and cheques will be delivered to schools at that time.

About the OSBRC

The OSBRC is a recycling challenge for elementary and secondary schools across Ontario. The purpose of the Challenge is to teach students and their families how to safely handle batteries and how to recycle them. Students, teachers, and their families have recycled more than 12 million batteries since the program started in 2014. The Challenge has also awarded $92,704.73 to schools, students, and the SickKids Foundation.

OSBRC schools can download resources, such as lesson plans, that tie into the curriculum. They can also download various posters, activity worksheets and more to keep recycling top of mind throughout the year.

The batteries recycled during the Challenge are recycled at Raw Materials Company in Port Colborne. RMC sorts the batteries by chemistry and then recycles the alkaline batteries using its patented recycling technology. 100% of each alkaline battery is reused and no part of the battery ends up in the landfill.

Port Colborne, ON– Environmental 360 Solutions Ltd. (E360S) announced the winners of the 9th Annual Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge (OSBRC).

The Challenge began on October 17, 2022, and finished on May 12, 2023. The batteries recycled by 164 participating schools were then collected and processed at E360S in Port Colborne, Ontario over the summer.

“We are pleased to announce nine schools met or exceeded the OSBRC Pledge this year,” said Sarah Lacharity, OSBRC Program Coordinator at Environmental 360 Solutions Ltd.

In no particular order, the winning schools were:

• Port Rowan Public School of Port Rowan
• Grand View Public School of Sault Ste. Marie
• H.M. Robbins Public School of Sault Ste. Marie
• Jarvis Community Christian School of Jarvis
• Muskoka Christian School of Utterson
• Quintilian School of Kingston
• Springfield Public School of Springfield
• St. Ann Catholic Elementary School of Fenwick
• St. Mary Catholic High School of Brockville

Each OSBRC Pledge winner earned an equal share of a $2,675.24 prize pool, funded by E360S.
In addition, the OSBRC awarded Monsignor Michael O’Leary of Bracebridge, with the Environmental Award and a cheque for $445.87. The E360S Environmental Award is given to a school that truly embodies the spirit of recycling and environmentalism.

“We’re extremely proud of the effort schools put forward this year,” said Lacharity. “Altogether, OSBRC schools recycled close to 660,000 batteries, diverting harmful chemicals and reusable materials from local landfills across Ontario.”

Schools participating in the OSBRC also raised $1,337.62 for the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The money raised will be used to build a state-of-the-art hospital and patient support centre.

Registration for the 2023 -2024 Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge is now open. The Challenge officially begins on October 16, 2023, and runs until May 10, 2024.

About the OSBRC

The OSBRC is a recycling challenge for elementary and secondary schools across Ontario. The purpose of the Challenge is to teach students and their families how to safely handle batteries and how to recycle them. Students, teachers, and their families have recycled more than 13.1 million batteries since the program started in 2014. The Challenge has also awarded $98,469.63 to schools, students, and the SickKids Foundation.

OSBRC schools can download resources, such as lesson plans, that tie into the curriculum. They can also download various posters, activity worksheets and more to keep recycling top of mind throughout the year.

The batteries recycled during the Challenge are recycled at Environmental 360 Solutions Ltd. in Port Colborne. E360S sorts the batteries by chemistry and then recycles the alkaline batteries using its patented recycling technology. 100% of each alkaline battery is reused and no part of the battery ends up in the landfill.

The Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge, by Environmental 360 Solutions Ltd., kicked off its 10th annual Challenge today. The OSBRC will run until May 10, 2024.

The purpose of the Challenge is to teach students and their families about the proper way to handle and store household batteries at home. It also gives students, teachers, and their families a convenient place to recycle their batteries throughout the school year.

The OSBRC has many resources to help teachers educate students about different types of batteries and how to tape the terminals on the ones that require it. Each time a student recycles a battery, Environmental 360 Solutions Ltd. will make a donation to a prize pool that will payout in the following ways:

OSBRC Pledge Prize | 60% of the Prize Pool

A school that recycles 1.36 kilograms for every student and staff enrolled will meet its OSBRC Pledge. 1.36 kilograms is what the average Canadian household accumulates in a single year. The OSBRC Pledge prize is worth 60% of the prize pool and will be split equally among all schools that meet or exceed their Pledge.

Environmental Award | 10%

Schools can also submit a video or description of all of the ways they’re making a difference in their community for a chance to win the E360S Environmental Award. At the end of the Challenge, we'll review all the submissions and select one lucky winner!

SickKids Foundation | 30%

As always, the OSBRC will donate 30% of the prize pool to the SickKids Foundation at the end of the Challenge on behalf of all participants.

Student Mission Draws

Students can win prizes for doing Student Missions. There are three draws during the year. The first draw is December 8th and it’s for a chance to win one of five $50 Visa gift cards.

The second draw is right before Family Day on February 20, 2024. This is an exclusive draw for Battery Bosses - students that have completed all five battery missions. The lucky winner of this draw will win a family stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls!

The final draw for a chance to win one of five $50 Visa gift cards will take place on Earth Day – April 22, 2024.

Best of luck this year!

Environmental 360 Solutions Ltd. (E360S) is pleased to announce it has acquired the assets of Raw Materials Company Inc. (“RMC” or the “Company”) headquartered in Port Colborne, Ontario.

Raw Material Company Inc. has been locally owned and operated since 1985 providing battery collection and recycling services across Canada and in parts of the U.S. Northeast. RMC’s patented technology for processing alkaline batteries with a market leading 85% recycling efficiency rate makes it one of the most efficient operators in Canada. The acquisition provides E360S important new capabilities for diverting end of life batteries away from landfills. RMC’s operations helped shape Ontario’s world-class battery collection and recycling program and will be instrumental in its continued success.

E360S’ CEO, Donato Ardellini, said “We are excited to welcome RMC’s dedicated employees and customers to E360S. RMC has built a great business over the last 38 years and will serve as a platform for E360S to continue to build upon. The acquisition enhances E360S’ existing ability to support producers and importers of batteries in their effort to be compliant with the provincial Extended Producer Responsibility regulatory framework. E360S is currently supporting producers and importers of tires with its existing tire recycling platform. Together these two platforms demonstrate E360S’ commitment to collecting and processing materials to support long term sustainability which aligns with E360S’ goal of providing customers sustainable solutions and diverting material away from landfills. RMC’s infrastructure and capabilities further expand E360S’ geographic footprint and service offerings. E360S continues to execute on its goal of becoming Canada’s most trusted environmental management company.”

E360S’ Vice President of Sustainability, Andrew Horsman, said “The acquisition of RMC’s assets by E360S is an exciting evolution in our ability to provide full-circle resource recovery services to producers. We look forward to expanding this industry-leading solution for battery recycling across Canada and delivering on our promise of trusted environmental management that producers can trust.”

About Environmental 360 Solutions Ltd.

Founded by industry veteran Donato Ardellini, E360S is dedicated to becoming North America’s leading and most trusted environmental management company.

E360S is a vertically integrated provider of waste management, environmental, and recycling/circular economy services to over 30,000 Canadian municipal, commercial and industrial customers. E360S is based in Aurora, Ontario, Canada and operates throughout Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.