Call2Recycle News in Brief

Written for Call2Recycle web/newsletter, June 2014.

The city of Austin, Texas, collaborated with ‘Keep America Beautiful’ and The Ad Council to launch a recycling awareness program.  It will challenge city residents to recycle five more pounds (2.27 kg) of materials than usual in order to help the city achieve a goal to keep 50 percent of trash out of landfills by December 2015. Call2Recycle partners with Austin Resource Recovery to recycle used rechargeable batteries through their Household Hazardous Waste program. Find out more about the “I Want to Be Recycled” campaign here.

Starting this month, DEWALT customers in Canada can earn a 10% discount on the purchase of a new DEWALT power tool battery by recycling their used rechargeable batteries.  Check the batteries in your power tools and get a discount on any replacements needed.

In case you missed it, check out our environmental lifestyle expert-recommended segment on the nationally-syndicated Better TV that highlighted Call2Recycle’s program, as well as light bulbs that last for 25 years, mineral-based plastic containers that save food longer, and shoes made from recycled soda bottles! 

Newalta Sorting Facilities Moving to Hamilton, ON

Written for Call2Recycle web/newsletter, June 2014

Call2Recycle’s Canadian battery-sorting partner Newalta is in the process of re-locating its national sorting operation from Fort Erie to Hamilton, Ontario. This year, Canadians have already recycled more than one million kilograms of batteries, a 26 per cent increase in collections compared to 2013. The new facility provides more space for sorting operations, as well as the opportunity to upgrade equipment and processes to improve efficiency.

“We applaud the efforts of all Canadians who are accepting their responsibility to ensure batteries are kept out of landfills,” said Joe Zenobio, executive director, Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. “Partnering with environmentally responsible entities such as Newalta is an important part of our recycling program.”

While battery operations continue in Fort Erie in the interim, Newalta expects to transition to the new location by late 2014.

“Newalta has been proud to partner with Call2Recycle for the past several years,” said Michael Jovanovic, General Manager of Ontario Facilities for Newalta. “We are making this significant investment not only to enhance our battery-sorting capabilities in the near-term by adding new, state-of-the-art equipment, but to allow us to grow as Call2Recycle expands its reach in Canada.”

RCBC Zeroes In on Waste

Written for Call2Recycle web/newsletter, June 2014

The luxurious Fairmont Chateau Whistler hotel set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains was the backdrop for the Recycling Council of British Columbia’s (RCBC) annual general meeting and conference last month. 

The event is a great opportunity to catch up with like-minded environmentalists in both public and private sectors.  The RCBC has always had the goal to spearhead extended producer responsibility (EPR) for all relevant industries operating in British Columbia (BC) since 1974.  The event evolved to become a mixture of proposed sustainability strategies along with the best innovations that might become part of RCBC work in the future.

Call2Recycle sponsored an educational session, devoted to resolving the tough sustainability scenarios faced by municipalities in BC.  The rest of the sessions highlighted sustainability best practices, case studies, and proposals for: global EPR schemes; stewardship; youth investment; technology; waste management; and how best to clean up Earth after the oil industry. 

The event also included RCBC’s annual award ceremony.

Next-generation recycling facility epitomizes convenience

Written for Call2Recycle web/newsletter, June 2014

Peerless Road has been a recycling site from British Columbia’s Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) since the 1970s. Since its early days as an incinerator, the Recycling & Waste Management Division of Cowichan Valley has always made the recycling site available to residents in Ladysmith, Saltair, Chemainus, North Oyster, and Cedar. Over time, the site’s layout became inefficient for recycling purposes and difficult to access, especially in wet conditions. By the end of 2011, the only leftover from the site’s original purpose was a 45,000m³ pile of incinerator ash (the same volume as 20 hot air balloons). The site had become home to blackberry bushes, weeds, and brambles, giving the pile a vaguely greener but unkempt look.

However, that all changed in March 2012, when the federal government announced it would provide funding to help transform the site. The project might have been stopped almost immediately, when estimates to remove the ash pile got as high as $8 million.  But a stroke of genius at this early stage set the trend for how the development of this site would be handled right up to its opening ceremony almost exactly two years later. 

A closer look at the ash revealed that it included metal residues forged together in the incinerator heat.  Astonishingly, 125 tons of metal was extracted from the ash and recycled. The ash was compacted and converted into an engineered ‘cell’ that became the foundation for the new site. Such ingenuity at the start of the process helped free up more funds, enabling the old incinerator building to be restored rather than torn down.  This has now become the central recycling building at the heart of the site. But even more items were re-used as the project continued.

Anything new on the site was constructed in as green a fashion as possible.  Tree stumps were collected and re-used to serve as a habitat for amphibians and small mammals that had used the site as their home long before it became a recycling center. The roofs of any new buildings were designed to manage storm water run-off.  New windows were double-glazed for insulation, new plumbing included high-efficiency fixtures and toilets, and even the paint was ‘low-VOC’ (volatile organic compound).  The ash that had been an accumulating eyesore for decades became the base for 21 brand-new drop-off bays for large or heavy appliances.

When Peerless Road re-opened in March 2014, it had become a recycling ‘best practice’ case study.  Serving around 17,000 people, of whom about 3,000 visit the site every month, Peerless Road is now able to accept more than 650 different items for recycling!  These range from regular household recyclables and organic food waste to a myriad of household appliances, power equipment, oil, antifreeze, scrap metal, lighting, textiles, batteries, tires, thermostats, and even rubble from construction sites! 

Peerless Road’s redesign allows residents to have a one-stop-shop for all their recyclable items, making it convenient for them to participate in the municipality’s recycling efforts. As a Call2Recycle program participant, Peerless Road provides residents with a convenient place to recycle batteries.  

Sponsoring FCM’s Tour de Force

Written for Call2Recycle web/newsletter, May 2014.

During the first week of July, almost 2,000 cyclists will be snaking their way through the French-speaking countryside in a well-known stage-race.  Among them will be Chris Karambatsos, Andrew Rubin, Luc Chayer, and Philip Swain, collectively representing the FCM Recycling team.  

However, none of this will happen in France.

The two-staged annual Ride to Conquer Cancer  takes place in Montreal and Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.  This charitable event has raised more than $32 million for cancer research across the province since its inception in 2008. In 2013 alone, it raised $6.3 million for specialized cancer therapy services at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal.  These funds go towards supporting new technologies in the areas of molecular diagnostics, functional imaging, biomarkers, molecular target discovery and validation, and advanced targeted radiation therapy.

The FCM Recycling team’s goal is to raise $20,000 this year.  “We managed to raise this much last year for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, so we know the target is achievable.  We have less time for fundraising this year but we’re off to a stronger start, and have $6,000 banked already,” explains Karambatsos.

That sum includes a small donation from Call2Recycle as one of many corporate sponsors. FCM Recycling, which specializes in diverting end-of-life electronics and electrical equipment from landfills at six processing facilities across Canada, has collaborated with Call2Recycle for several years and for the last two years, won a coveted “Leader in Sustainability” award.  According to Karambatsos though, neither recycling nor fundraising are likely to be the big issue for 2014: “This winter has been so bad that the guys and I haven’t had much opportunity to train.  We need to make sure we can survive two days of 100km rides, so we’re hoping that spring arrives on-schedule!”

British Columbia youth environmentalism leads by example

Written for Call2Recycle web/newsletter, May 2014

Each year, Science World offers free entry for elementary and secondary schools in British Columbia (B.C.) to plan, execute and detail an environmental project. Call2Recycle has proudly sponsored Science World for three years, as part of its ongoing efforts to encourage the adoption of environmentally responsible behavior. This year’s competition was again stunning testimony to the sheer creativity and perseverance of the competitors.

Some schools participating in the ‘B.C. Green Games’ maintained projects from previous years’ games to build upon and expand.  With assistance from teachers or third parties, students from K-12 built composting programs, recycling programs, and even a nature trail  signposted with details about the natural flora and fauna.  Smithers Secondary School built a whole new geodesic dome greenhouse from the ground up!  Reynolds Secondary School even researched the environmental impact of different forms of public transport in the local community, and concluded that e-bikes were the best compromise.  So, the team there designed an e-bike conversion kit for regular bicycles!

As the competition matures, entries are evolving to have practical, tangible impact on local communities too.  For example, Semiahmoo Secondary School had such a successful organic garden that it is now liaising with local charities.  That’s right: not only is this particular B.C. Green Games project providing fresh, organic food to the school canteen, but the surplus may later feed the homeless.  These efforts are built into the community without financial transactions: they exist for all the right reasons.

To celebrate the success of the games and to thank those who took part, all B.C. Green Games’ participants were invited to come together at TELUS World of Science for Earth Day last month, either in-person or via live broadcast.  A live rock concert with an environmental theme kicked off the day-long party, which was later joined by the Jellyfish Project.  This organization encourages young generations to tap into their ability and opportunity to repair the human damage done to Earth, and create new systems that will prevent such damage from continuing.  In their presentation, members of the Jellyfish Project coined the phrase, “The U-Turn Generation” to describe youth with a new set of attitudes, norms, and capabilities who have both the knowledge and resolve to disseminate positive change in conservation practices. 

For a list of the winners, more details, or to watch the documentaries the schools produced, check here.

If Maslow were alive today, he’d have stolen his Dad’s car and shot himself

As you meander through this self-populating digital zoo we call the web,
from time to time there will be people you meet who seem surprised that you don't believe in either government or money.

This is normal.  You are not likely to be in any danger.  Although, you should remember that this person is still driven by an artificial scarcity that makes them predatory, just in order to survive.  Do not make any sudden movements, and do not 'reach' inside your jacket or handbag without first explaining why you are about to do so. 

Then ask them what they think government is there to do.  Many will say something along the lines of government being there to collect taxes in order to pay for roads and schools and hospitals and defence and stuff like that. 

But why?  Well, so that people can have education, and healthcare, and jobs, and food for the needy if people don't have any of their own.  Something like that?

Well, that's not good news for the government or money-lover.  Sure, there have been brief times in human history when both these inventions were useful.  They may, briefly, have served the needs of all the people in certain communities here and there.  However, the long-term record of neither invention comes close to even achieving those few things I mentioned above.  Sadly, this no truer than today.

So, whether we're using money, or government, or both to try to provide things like schools and hospitals and fire departments and construction, what should they be providing?  What exactly do we want for our money?  And what do we all want regardless of religion, colour, gender, sexual preference, age, whatever?  What should every government endeavour to provide first?

In 1943 this guy called Maslow figured that out.  It's a really simple yet accurate explanation of exactly what we would say to the prime minister or whoever when we were telling them what we need.  Oh, and it works in every country on Earth whether there is a government there or not.

All humans' most basic needs are exactly the same: air, food, drink, shelter, warmth/shade, sex, sleep.  So, given that the latest YOLO trend for teenagers seems to be to steal Dad's car, shoot a bunch of strangers, and then themselves because they're “sexstarved”, how do you think our governments and money are faring at providing for our need for sex?  Strangely, not well it would seem.  This despite years of getting sex, nudity, sexual innuendo, and sometimes just pink shrink-wrapped porn in the form of Miley Cyrus, thrust in their faces via mainstream media.  But maybe that’s the problem.  Unfortunately it doesn’t get any better the older you get either.  Internet dating is suddenly a million-dollar industry, and it’s not just the inflation.

Neither government nor the monetary system seems to fare very well when it comes to food and shelter either.  It’s not that we don’t have enough food, it’s that people don’t have ‘money’ to ‘pay’ for it.  They deserve it just as much as all other humans, and sometimes need it more.  But that doesn’t count.  They just can’t have it.  So a child dies every 15 seconds or so.  It’s not looking too good even for those who do get food.  The human food chain is in the process of being patented by biotech giants to prevent people from being able to grow food without them.  Patents being, of course, a direct result of the monetary system.

And shelter, like food, is also substituted by money in that your degree of shelter depends on how much money you have.  Currently in the USA there are six empty homes for every homeless man, woman, and child.  The 85 richest people on the planet are worth nearly as much as the poorest 50 per cent of the world's population, according to Oxfam.  But it’s not that these people don’t deserve to be able to come indoors when it rains, it’s just that they can’t have it.  Because, via banks and governments, we say so. 

No shelter = no permanent access to shade in the summer, or warmth in the winter.  No point even discussing that. 

How about air?  All humans need air, not to mention a few other species who were here long before we were.  Surely governments and money can’t fuck air up, can they?  Well, a big chunk of Antarctica just broke off, there’s chemtrails in every country, and we rely almost exclusively on an energy source that (a) will be gone by 2100, and (b) pollutes the entire planet however we use it.  So let’s just say the air isn’t great here.  And whatever the corporations are doing to the air for money or control, the governments are enabling.

Given that we haven’t yet managed to meet any of the first six of the seven needs all humans have, how well do you think we’ll be sleeping?  Yup, that’s seven out of seven human needs never once provided to all humans at the same time.  I forget when the first ‘government’ or ‘money’ was, but it’s safe to say both are more than 2,000 years old.  So in two millennia, neither government nor money have been able to provide what all humans need above everything else.

The next level up in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is that of human safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, freedom from fear.  This is where it starts to get really funny.  Freedom from fear?  Seriously?  The business of governments is fear.  Selling it, peddling it, making wads of cash off the back of it.  When was the last time you heard any of Earth’s governments say, “Oh, by the way, we eradicated poverty and homelessness today, so there’s no need to worry about those anymore”?  Doesn’t ring any bells, does it.  The laws are written by corporations via lobbyists and rubber-stamped by politicians without even being read.  This means the ultimate aim of law is profit. 

There are another three more levels above this before a human being gets to self-actualisation, the comfort of doing what we were here to do.  Doing something you’d do for free because you love it, but get paid anyway.  It’s not surprising most people never get anywhere near it really.  It’s because governments and money make it so difficult to meet just the basic needs.  People rarely get the chance to even think about the rest unless it’s when they’re buying a lottery ticket.

However unlikely, it may actually be possible that even a rich, spoiled brat with zero responsibilities couldn’t get his needs fulfilled.  So ask yourself: what hope is there for you?

And then ask them if they still believe in money and government.

London Drugs Celebrates Earth Month with Recycling Promotion

Written for Call2Recycle web/newsletter, April 2014

April is a month of spring cleaning for many Canadians. Because April is also Earth Month, Canadian retail giant London Drugs thought it would also be the perfect time to encourage recycling.  So throughout April its local stores will accept old electronics, light bulbs, batteries, cellphones and other items for recycling. 

If that isn’t enough, the company also set a stretch goal--doubling the amount of recyclable materials it collects this April over last. This year’s goal is about 104,000 kilograms (230,000 pounds), up from the 52,000 kilograms (114,640 pounds) collected in 2013.

To encourage participation, London Drugs is offering customers who drop off items between April 11-30 a chance to register to win an Energy Efficient Electronics Bundle, which includes a big-screen TV and tablet. They are promoting the program on their website and Twitter feed (@WTGreenDeal).

London Drug has a strong history of recycling.  Since it launched its What’s the Green Deal? program in 2008, the company has collected more than 19 million kilograms (42 million pounds) of recyclable materials. This includes over 1 million kilograms (2.2 million pounds) of electronics and devices. Last year, the company collected 4.5 million kilograms (10 million pounds) of recyclable materials. Call2Recycle has been their long-term partner for both alkaline and rechargeable battery recycling since 2000, collecting over 150,000 kilograms of batteries since program inception.

Make It Count for Earth Day

Written for Call2Recycle web/newsletter, April 2014

Earth Day is the largest environmental event in the world. More than six million Canadians—including almost every school-aged child—participate in a local Earth Day activity. Earth Day Canada, a national environmental charity and corporate partner with Call2Recycle, actively promotes participation throughout Canada.

This year Earth Day Canada’s theme throughout April, or Earth Month, is Make It Count for Earth Day. Earth Day Canada’s goal is to engage Canadians of all ages by asking them to add small, environmentally-based actions to their daily routines. Participants set a goal for the number of actions they want to complete during the month in one of four environmental categories – Eat, Grow, Transform and Share.  

Actions can range from planting native trees and shrubs to preparing meals using local ingredients, recycling batteries from electronic devices/power tools and creating new looks from old clothing. Participants are invited to share their actions on social media using the #MIC4ED hashtag and inspire others to take action. Those who register are also entered into a drawing for prizes.  

Folklore says it takes 21 repetitions to form a habit. After Earth Month ends, Earth Day Canada hopes these newly adopted habits across Canada last well into the future.  For more information on the EcoKids battery lesson plans created in conjunction with Earth Day Canada, visit our webpage or the EcoKids website.

Call2Recycle Recognizes 2013 Leaders in Sustainability

Written for Call2Recycle web/newsletter, March 2014.

The Call2Recycle offices in Canada and the USA have been awash in cardboard and bubble-wrap for the last few weeks as the team mails out the items for our 2013 “Leaders in Sustainability” recipients.

This will be the third year the awards have been run in Canada and the second year in the USA.  They recognize select organizations for their exemplary participation in the Call2Recycle program, and go to a wide variety of retailers, municipalities, government departments, manufacturers and others organizations both North and South of the border.  

As ever, Call2Recycle would like to congratulate not only this year’s recipients but all organizations that use the Call2Recycle program as their preferred method for keeping batteries out of landfill.  We applaud all of our participants and stewards and thank them for their commitment to the environment.

Positive Recycling and the Magic Box

Written for Call2Recycle web/newsletter, February 2014.

With 90 per cent of customers happy with our level of service, and 96 per cent likely to recommend us to others, you might wonder whether some kind of magic is at work behind the scenes at Call2Recycle.  Contrary to suspicions though, we do not import fresh pixie dust from Walt Disney each week in order to ensure our collection sites are always ready to receive batteries. 

That said, one of the most common enquiries still received regularly by our customer service team is, “How do I order a replacement box now that I’ve sent my full one back?”  For the vast majority of collection sites, the answer is always the same: you don’t have to.  Alas, the reason why you don’t have to order a replacement box isn’t quite as exciting as magic, or pixies, or even unicorns.  The short answer is that when it comes to magically providing the people at our collection sites with fresh, empty boxes, we selected the right business partner for the job: Positive Fulfilment Services Ltd.

Call2Recycle has been working with Positive Fulfilment, based in Toronto, Ontario, since March 2001.  The organisation sits on the nexus of highways 407 and 427 just a stone’s throw from Pearson International Airport, situated perfectly to make the rest of the country accessible for the customer logistics it hosts.  Fulfillment Service Providers such as Positive, or ‘fulfilment houses’ as they used to be known, are essentially an outsourced storage and logistics operation.  Any organisation intending to sell a product that needs to be shipped can enter the market without having its own warehousing or fleet of delivery vehicles, for example, by outsourcing that entire business function.

It may have been destiny that Call2Recycle and Positive would end up working together.  Positive got its start in the fulfillment business back in the early 1990s by catering to the needs of pharmaceutical manufacturers.  Just storing pharmaceuticals in Canada demands a Drug Establishment Licence, a Natural Health Products Directorate, a Class “A” Precursor Licence, and a Medical Devices Licence as the minimum.  Suffice to say, there are certain businesses that require ongoing vigilance when it comes to new legislation, regulations, and laws.  “Transporting batteries is no different,” explains Joe Zenobio, executive director, Call2Recycle Canada, Inc.  “We’ve always taken great pride in our ability to tackle complex legal environments, and because of that we can still say today that our program is compliant with all relevant legislation, whether local, national, or international.”  So when Call2Recycle sought partners to help bring all-battery recycling to Canada, Positive was a natural choice.

Fast-forward to 2014, and the IT operations of Call2Recycle and Positive are inexorably linked, as are the destinies of these two Ontario employers.  Together, we are able to assess the rate at which any collection site fills their boxes and needs new ones.  Brand new sites tend to be given extra boxes to ensure they cannot run out, but more established sites are easier to predict.  Now, the system is triggered whenever a collection site despatches a full box – sometimes beforehand.  A replacement, empty box is already on its way to the collection site via automated process even before the person there has picked up the phone.  With this automatic safety factor built into logistics, the Call2Recycle team can concentrate on seasonal variations, or instances when collaborative marketing efforts create a spike in collections – such as the Winnipeg Public Library initiative in Q4 2013.

Sadly then we cannot claim that the humble Call2Recycle boxes you see in retail stores, libraries, fire stations or private offices are magic.  The process that gets them from Toronto to the rest of Canada isn’t magic either.  However, just as long as it continues to feel like magic to our customers, that’s positive enough for us. 

Destination: Globe 2014

Next month Call2Recycle will host booth #1507 at the renowned “GLOBE” event in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

2014 will mark the 13^th Globe event, run biannually since 1993 when the Globe Foundation was established as a not-for-profit, private, international business foundation, promoting the business case for sustainable development.  Since then, Globe has continued to champion the premise that eco-efficiency is not only viable and preferable, but also profitable.  As such the organisation, and its events, attract a wide variety of audiences from both the public and private sectors, as well as NGOs, non-profits, and of course the environment.

Globe’s last event in 2012 was no exception, and drew almost 10,000 overall participants from 58 different countries.  650 of these were presidents or CEOs, meaning the event is also a favourite amongst business networkers.  This year’s event will likely exceed these stats, and has been designed around eight themes that, internationally, comprise some of the most pertinent environmental issues we face today: The Changing Energy Landscape; Food & Water Security - Protecting our Most Precious Resources; Towards the Circular Economy; Responsible Resource Management; Clean Capitalism - Financing Sustainable Innovation; Building Resilient Cities; China – Our Shared Future; The Aboriginal Advantage.  

Globe 2014 will be at the Vancouver Convention Centre, 26-28 March.