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New School Year, New Technologies: Where Do Your Old Devices and Batteries Belong?(Marketwire (Canada) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) TORONTO, ON --(Marketwired - August 27, 2014) - This back to school season, millions of students will head to the classroom carrying new mobile devices containing rechargeable batteries -- all of which can be recycled. It is the perfect time of year to educate young people about proper recycling to protect the environment. Recent studies show that 55 per cent of Canadians own a smartphone1, a large portion (37 per cent) of which are between the ages of 18 and 352. And the use of devices doesn't stop there -- 86 per cent of Canadians who own a smartphone also own a laptop or PC, and 47 per cent a tablet3. Adult Canadians aren't the only ones accumulating mobile devices: 24 per cent of grade four students, half (52 per cent) the students in grade seven, and 85 per cent of students in grade 11 have their own cell phones4. As technology advances and new equipment is released, children, teens and young adults will replace their old gadgets with new ones causing exponential growth in the number of devices in the marketplace. If kids in the fourth grade have personal mobile devices now, think about how many they will have used and disposed of by the time they are old enough to drive. How about the number they will use during the course of their lifetime? What will happen to all those old devices? It is more important than ever to educate younger generations about how to properly recycle rechargeable batteries found in mobile devices. These products should not end up in landfills, where reusable materials are wasted and could potentially harm the environment. To avoid these consequences, parents and educators should teach students of all ages how to be stewards of the environment by recycling old devices and rechargeable batteries. Through Call2Recycle Canada, Inc., a battery product stewardship organization, retailers like Best Buy, Canadian Tire, Future Shop, London Drugs, Rona, Staples and The Home Depot are able to offer a convenient, no-cost option for recycling rechargeable batteries and cellphones. Students can also drop off their single-use batteries from products such as alarm clocks, calculators, games and remote controls. Once deposited in the collection box, these batteries and cellphones are transported to an approved processing facility where the battery components are broken down into raw material form, from which they are reborn into useful new products such as new batteries and stainless steel products like golf clubs and silverware. "Over the years, we've seen significant increases in the number of cellphones, tablets and other mobile devices entering the marketplace," said Joe Zenobio, Executive Director of Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. "More and more, these devices are found in the hands of students and young children who strive to be stewards of the environment, and we need to show them how. Teaching them how to safely and properly recycle their old rechargeable batteries is a great place to start." About Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. Founded by five concerned battery manufacturers, Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. is a non-profit organization that collects and recycles batteries at no cost for municipalities, businesses and consumers. Since 1997, Call2Recycle has diverted over 7.5 million kilograms of batteries and cellphones from the solid waste stream and established 7,000 collection sites throughout Canada. A leader in its field, Call2Recycle was built upon a commitment to environmental sustainability and meets or exceeds the most rigorous recycling standards for the safe recycling and management of batteries. Learn more at call2recycle.ca or call 1.888.224.9764. 1 "Infographic: The 2014 Canadian Smartphone Market" Catalyst. http://catalyst.ca/infographic-2014-canadian-smartphone-market/ 2 "Canada Digital Future in Focus 2014" comScore http://cwta.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2014-Canada-Digital-Future-in-Focus_FINAL.pdf 3 "Infographic: The 2014 Canadian Smartphone Market" Catalyst. http://catalyst.ca/infographic-2014-canadian-smartphone-market/ 4 Steves, Valerie. (2014.) "Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Life Online" Media Smarts. http://mediasmarts.ca/ycww FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: For more information, please contact: Tia Thomas Consultant Environics Communications [email protected] (416) 969-2729 Orysia Boytchuk Senior Director, Marketing Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. [email protected] (416) 224-0141 ext 229 Source: Call2Recycle |