Montreal, May 22, 2025 – Once again this year, Quebec youth answered the call to collect! Thanks to the annual battery recycling contest (Concours de Recyclage des Piles) organized by ENvironnement JEUnesse and Call2Recycle’s Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! program, more than 27,700 kilograms of used batteries were diverted from landfills through 296 schools across the province during the latest edition of the contest, the highest number of participating schools since the contest began in 2016.
Behind these impressive numbers are thousands of students, teachers, and families who have mobilized around a gesture that is as simple as it is meaningful: to bring used batteries back to school so that they can be recycled.
“Each school that participated in this 9th edition contributed to building an ecological awareness within its community. These 296 schools have not only helped divert used batteries from landfills, but they have also paved the way for young people who are more aware of the importance of recycling. Through their commitment, they play a key role in environmental education in their communities. Congratulations for this impressive mobilization! “, says Sarah-Katherine Lutz, General Manager at ENvironnement JEUnesse.
A mobilization rewarded
A total of $13,550 was given to participating schools to support concrete projects such as the greening of schoolyards, the creation of collective vegetable gardens or the purchase of sorting bins.
Among the winning schools, École Arc-en-Ciel in Saint-Camille won the grand prize of $2,000 and particularly stood out with an exceptional collection of more than 1,464 kg of batteries.
Jon McQuaid, Vice-President of Marketing and Communications at Call2Recycle, is delighted: “We are pleased to see the number of young Quebecers who participated in this year’s battery recycling contest grow. Thanks to students, teachers and their families, we are building a sustainable future and participating in the local circular economy. »
When schools become a driver of change
Much more than a simple collection contest, this initiative represents a real opportunity for environmental mobilization for schools and CEGEPs. By bringing together students, educational staff and families around a common goal, it allows schools to make a concrete commitment to the protection of the environment. The contest thus contributes to the emergence of a culture of eco-citizenship in Quebec schools, by equipping young people to become real actors of change on the issues of responsible waste management and to adopt thoughtful behaviours on a daily basis.
Recycling batteries: a crucial gesture for the environment
Batteries contain metal and chemical components that can harm the environment if not managed properly. Recycling not only prevents pollution, but also recovers reusable materials to make new products, promoting a local circular economy.
The ” Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! “ program is fully in line with this approach, by offering Canadians practical, simple and safe ways to dispose of their used batteries.
About Call2Recycle Canada Inc.
Call2Recycle® is Canada’s leading battery collection and recycling non-profit organization. Call2Recycle fulfills product stewardship obligations on behalf of more than 400 members, which include producers of single-use and rechargeable batteries. www.call2recycle.ca
About ENvironnement JEUnesse
Created in 1979, ENvironnement JEUnesse is an environmental education organization that aims to raise awareness of environmental issues among young people in Quebec, to equip them through its educational projects and to encourage them to take action in their respective communities. www.enjeu.qc.ca
For more information:
Charles-Antoine DuboisCommunications Manager | Call2Recycle Canada
[email protected] | 647-464-7381
Kathya Bérubé-PannetonProject Manager at the Youth Partnership | ENvironnement JEUnesse
[email protected] | 514-252-3016