OTTAWA – Recycle My Cell, Canada's national recycling program for mobile phones and accessories, has unveiled the winners of the fourth annual Recycle My Cell Student Challenge.
Once again held in collaboration with the 2013 Waste Reduction Week in Canada, the challenge saw students from kindergarten to post-secondary collect as many old wireless devices as possible, including cell phones, smartphones, wireless PDAs, pagers, accessories and cell phone batteries.
More than 140 Canadian schools and 180,000 students from across the country participated in the 2013 edition of the challenge, which was held from October 21 to November 22. In total, more than 3,500 wireless devices along with some 200 kilograms of wireless accessories and batteries were collected.
"Every year, hundreds of Canadian students show their commitment to the environment through the Recycle My Cell Student Challenge," said Bernard Lord, president and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), in the news release. "Understanding how a little effort today goes a long way to protect the environment for future generations is an important example for all Canadians, and we should applaud the vision and leadership of these students."
"The partnership between Waste Reduction Week in Canada and Recycle My Cell grows awareness about the importance of waste reduction and recycling”, added Jo-Anne St. Godard, executive director of the Recycling Council of Ontario. “The results of the Challenge demonstrate how individual efforts, measured collectively, have a significant impact on our environment."
The school that collected the most wireless devices in each participating province and territory, based on student population, will receive a $500 donation to support the school's green initiatives.
The winning schools in the 2013 Recycle My Cell Student Challenge are:
- Alice Jamieson Girls' Academy, Calgary, Alberta
- Birchwood Intermediate School, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
- Donald Fraser Memorial School, Plaster Rock, New Brunswick
- École Saint-Benoît, Montreal, Quebec
- Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Kimberley Independent School, Kimberley, British Columbia
- Long Island Academy, Beaumont, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Marysville Public School, Wolfe Island, Ontario
- Princess Alexandra School, Hay River, Northwest Territories
- St. Alphonsus Catholic School, Yorkton, Saskatchewan
- Sun Valley School, Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Takhini Elementary School, Whitehorse, Yukon
- West Hants Education Centre, Windsor, Nova Scotia
