Environment and Conservation
October 12, 2012

The following is being distributed at the request of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board:

Newfoundland and Labrador Schools Encouraged to Keep Top National Recycling Status

The third annual Recycle My Cell School Challenge kicks off on Monday, October 15, as part of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Boards (MMSB) Waste Reduction Week activities. Schools in Newfoundland and Labrador collectively recycled the most cell phones in both the 2010 and 2011 challenges. This year, schools are once again being challenged to recycle the most cell phones in Canada. The challenge, running from October 15 through to November 15, is open to all K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions in Newfoundland and Labrador, and encourages students to protect the environment by recycling used cell phones.

“Our government and the MMSB are pleased to be part of the national Recycle My Cell School Challenge for the third year running and I am eager to see how many cell phones the students of our province will collect and recycle this year,” said the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Environment and Conservation and Minister Responsible for the MMSB. “Cell phones are popular items, and are constantly being replaced with the latest and greatest device, so we want students to understand that owning a cell phone comes with an environmental responsibility.”

Approximately 96 per cent of the materials in an average cell phone are recyclable, but only 14 per cent of phones in Canada are currently recycled. The cell phones collected as part of this challenge will be dismantled and the materials will be used to produce new mobile devices and a variety of other items.

“Last year, over 3,900 cell phones were collected by 55 schools and nine post-secondary institutions throughout our province, accounting for more than half of all the phones collected in the national competition,” said Leigh Puddester, MMSB Chair and Chief Executive Officer. “By collecting and recycling cell phones, students are playing an important role in protecting our environment and keeping these items out of our landfills. We encourage all schools in Newfoundland and Labrador to rise to the challenge once again this year and guide our province to a greener future.”

The challenge is to collect as many cell phones as possible and encourage students of all ages to raise awareness about cell phone recycling and environmental stewardship. All schools have been provided with cell phone drop-boxes, posters and other materials to help promote the challenge to students, parents, teachers and faculty.

“Activities such as this reinforce the environmental stewardship that we teach in science classrooms, where students from K-12 are encouraged to have a sense of personal and shared responsibility for the environment,” said the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Education. “I encourage schools to take part in this initiative, and wish all participants the best of luck.”

MMSB will award $1,000 to the top performing school in each of the four regions of the province, and will reward $1,000 to the top performing post-secondary institution. The prize money will be used toward environmental school initiatives. To ensure a level playing field, totals will be tallied based on the number of students per school. In addition, as part of the national Recycle My Cell School Challenge, the school in each province that collects the most cell phones, based on school population, will be awarded $500.

Recycle My Cell is Canada’s national recycling program for mobile phones and accessories. The bilingual websites – www.RecycleMyCell.ca and www.recyclemoncell.ca – allow consumers to simply enter their postal code to locate the 10 drop-off locations closest to them where their devices will be accepted, regardless of brand or condition. The free program is run by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), in conjunction with cell phone carriers and handset manufacturers, who have come together to raise awareness about the importance of cell phone recycling.

"Schools in Newfoundland and Labrador have been huge supporters of the Recycle My Cell School Challenge,” said Bernard Lord, President and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA). “The continued dedication these students have shown towards ensuring Newfoundland and Labrador’s landfills are free from old cell phones is truly impressive and sets the bar very high for the rest of the country.”

The MMSB is a Crown agency of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. It supports modern waste management practices in the province with a particular focus on waste diversion and recycling, in order to ensure a clean and healthy environment throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

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2012 10 12                                    1:45 p.m.