TORONTO, ON, September 18, 2023 – Call2Recycle, Canada’s leading battery collection and recycling program, and Longo’s, a leading grocer, are pleased to announce their new collaboration to offer Guests convenient battery recycling at 37 Longo’s stores across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). With this partnership, Longo’s becomes the first grocery chain in Ontario to provide this important program, and continues to drive positive and sustainable changes towards waste reduction.
This expansion adds to the opportunities Longo’s Guests have to lessen their impact on the environment by returning end-of-life batteries to their local store on their next shopping trip.
“At Longo’s we are committed to minimizing our overall impact on the environment and do everything we can to ensure we fuel happier and healthier lives,” said Deb Craven, President, Longo’s. “Our partnership with Call2Recycle reinforces our commitment to Environmental Stewardship, one of our three Sustainability Pillars. The battery recycling program provides a significant opportunity for ourselves and our Guests to divert waste and lessen our impact on the environment.”
“Call2Recycle is excited to begin this collaboration with Longo’s as part of our efforts to make it easier and more convenient for Canadians to recycle batteries”, said Joe Zenobio, President of Call2Recycle Canada. “Through this partnership with a leading, like-minded organization, we continue taking a leading role in the province to expand battery recycling diversion and educate Ontarians about safe recycling practices in a manner that is approachable and accessible. We are pleased to partner with the Longo’s team and give Ontarians the opportunity to drop batteries off on their next shopping trip and protect the environment effortlessly.”
Longo’s launched its battery recycling program at 37 stores in the GTA on September 12, 2023, joining Call2Recycle’s network of over 2,600 convenient battery collection sites in the province, to encourage Ontarians to adopt environmentally-friendly habits by making battery recycling part of their regular shopping routine. Collected batteries will be sent for processing, where valuable materials like metal alloys are retrieved and used to produce new products like silverware, bikes and golf clubs – contributing to a circular economy. Both Longo’s and Call2Recycle have developed long-standing relationships with Ontario communities and share a common vision of encouraging Canadians to adopt environmentally responsible practices.
Call2Recycle offers Ontarians the highest accessibility rate in Canada to battery recycling drop-off locations, with over 98% of Ontarians located within 15 km of a battery collection point. With thousands of visitors each year, Longo’s stores will help increase accessibility and recycling volumes even further in southern Ontario.
To find the nearest battery collection site near you, including one of Longo’s 37 stores, please visit: https://www.call2recycle.ca/locator/
About Call2Recycle Canada, Inc.
Call2Recycle® is Canada’s leading organization for battery collection and recycling, fulfilling product stewardship obligations on behalf of over 400 members, including producers of single-use and rechargeable batteries. It 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 eTransport batteries used to power eBikes, eScooters, eSkateboards, Hoverboards and Electric Vehicles (EVs).
Since its inception in 1997, Call2Recycle has diverted over 40 million kilograms of batteries from Canadian landfills. This reputation for excellence has enabled Call2Recycle to maintain trusted, long-term relationships with stakeholders and a network of more than 10,000 participating collection locations across Canada, including at leading retailers and municipal facilities.
About Longo Brothers Fruit Market
Longo’s is a family-operated Canadian organization that started in 1956 when three brothers, Tommy, Joe and Gus opened their first fruit market. What began as a small family-run store has since grown to a company that operates 37 stores in communities across Toronto and the GTA. Today, Longo’s maintains the same family-based values as they did over 65 years ago, putting Family Standards at the heart of everything they do. Longo’s is proud to serve their Guests the quality standard of food they believe every family deserves, and to give back to the communities they operate in through the Longo Family Foundation.
To learn more about Longo’s’ commitment to minimizing its impact on the environment and sustainability goals can be found in its 2022 Sustainability Report.
For more information, please visit Longos.com or follow @LongosMarkets on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.\
Media Contact
Call2Recycle: Charles-Antoine Dubois, Bilingual Corporate Communications Manager,
Email: cadubois@appelarecycler.ca, Mobile: 647-464-7381
Longo’s: Melissa Prince, External Communications, Blue Door Agency
E-mail: melissa@bluedoor.com, Phone: 416.451.2233
