Raw Materials Company Inc.

2019-2020 OSBRC Winners Announced!

June 5, 2020

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.