RMC Announces Ontario Schools Battery Recycling Challenge Winners

September 16, 2022


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.

Did you know?

Zinc is one of the world's most commonly used metals. Approximately 30% of the zinc today comes from recycled sources. Raw Materials Company is able to recover zinc from the batteries that you recycle. The zinc we recover is then reused as micronutrients in fertilizer to grow corn for biofuel.

As a result of RMC's recycled materials, farmers are able to increase their yields by over 20 bushels per acre. This is important considering our growing population and the need to make efficient use of our existing farmland.

Find out more about our technology and how together we are turning waste into a valuable resource.