Thanks to the legion of customers that pitch in and make use of London Drugs’ recycling programs, the Western Canadian retailer has been named a Leader in Sustainability by consumer battery collection and recycling program, Call2Recycle® in advance of National Battery Day this Friday, February 18.
The organization singled out London Drugs for the honour — granted to businesses that display ‘exceptional commitment’ to battery recycling initiatives — after its customers returned more than 62,000 kilograms of household batteries and cell phones to locations across British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan in 2021. It marked a huge uptick in donations from the year prior when COVID-19 lockdowns saw battery recycling totals drop to just over 43,300 kilograms.
Customers have been able to drop off rechargeable and single-use batteries and cellphones at London Drugs locations across Western Canada since 2008. Once collected, London Drugs then ships them to Call2Recycle partner Retriev Technologies in Trail, BC, where they are processed into raw materials and upcycled into new batteries and products such as pots and pans, pens, bicycles, golf clubs, steel products and more.
Donated cell phones are sent to The Wireless Alliance in Colorado and then either recycled or refurbished and resold, with proceeds used to fund cell phone collection programs and educational outreach. All waste products are responsibly and safely disposed of according to Responsible Recycling (R2) and Basel Action Network (BAN) standards, with all recycling occurring in North America, nothing disposed of in landfills, and no waste materials exported out of the country.
“We’re thrilled to be recognized for our ongoing efforts to stem the tide of unnecessary waste ending up in landfills, but it’s our customers who really deserve this accolade,” says London Drugs Sustainability Specialist Raman Johal. “Every year, thousands of our customers support our efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible and we applaud them for continuing to make a difference and keeping our planet healthy by bringing back batteries and other recyclables for safe collection and disposal.”
From 2008 to 2018, London Drugs customers returned more than 850,000 pounds of batteries and more than 100,000 cell phones to locations across Western Canada for recycling. Beyond batteries and cell phones, London Drugs also accepts a wide range of other items for recycling, including, but not limited to, beverage containers, plastic bags and overwrap and foam packaging.
“Each year, Canadians recycle more and more of their used batteries with Call2Recycle thanks to the exceptional partnership of organizations like London Drugs. Its commitment to sustainability and diverting batteries from the waste stream for re-use in new products is making a real difference,” said Joe Zenobio, President of Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. “With London Drugs’ support, we have been able to achieve record collection targets year after year, helping to protect wildlife, the environment and our communities by keeping toxic metals out of landfill.”
Due to post-COVID protocols, London Drugs is currently only accepting materials purchased in its stores, and certain locations may subscribe to recycling limits or halt recycling from time to time to control volume and let staff safely handle all materials. Customers are invited to call their local London Drugs store to confirm which recyclable materials it is currently collecting. For a full list of materials accepted for donation at London Drugs locations across Western Canada, click here.
For more information, visit londondrugs.com.
About London Drugs
Founded in 1945, B.C.-based London Drugs sells to every province and territory in Canada through its online store www.LondonDrugs.com and has 79 physical stores in more than 35 major markets throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. London Drugs offers consumers a range of products from personal protection equipment for pandemic safety, to digital cameras and cosmetics to computers and televisions. Renowned for its creative approach to retailing, the company employs more than 9000 people with pharmacy and health care services at the heart of its business. Committed to innovation and superior customer service, London Drugs has established itself as a reputable and caring Canadian company that supports Canadian brands and continues to position itself for future growth and development.
About Call2Recycle Canada, Inc.
Call2Recycle® is the provincially-approved consumer battery collection and recycling program for British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island, and operates as a registered Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Ontario according to the Ontario Batteries Regulation. Call2Recycle accepts household batteries (weighing up to 5 kg) for recycling and eMobility batteries used to power eBikes, eScooters, eHoverboards and eSkateboards. Learn more at call2recycle.ca or call 1.888.224.9764.
Social media:
Facebook: /LondonDrugs
Twitter: @LondonDrugs
Instagram: @LondonDrugs
Hashtag Intel:
#LondonDrugs
#NationalBatteryDay
Further information
Samantha Geer