UPEI students to collect batteries and electronic devices during Welcome Week
During UPEI Welcome Week from September 1–5, 2025, students will take part in a collaborative initiative titled “Becoming Sustainable Panthers.”
UPEI will team up with Island Waste Management Corporation (IWMC), Call2Recycle Canada, and Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA) to collect used batteries and small electronic devices to promote sustainability, help the environment, and provide a valuable service to the neighbouring community.
On Monday, September 1, from 2:30 to 4:00 pm, students, wearing UPEI Welcome Week t-shirts, will visit homes in Sherwood and Brown’s Court to collect used batteries, using bags and boxes of the Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! program powered by Call2Recycle. They will also hand out extra bags and pamphlets promoting recycling to each household.
“I am extremely excited to being hosting Becoming Sustainable Panthers as a part of Welcome Week events,” said Kaitlyn Smith, co-coordinator of Welcome Week. “I am in the sustainable design engineering program at UPEI, so it feels right to be hosting an event to improve sustainability here on the Island. I am excited to help the community recycle their batteries, improve their knowledge about this process, and teach them why it is important.”
On Thursday, September 4, from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, representatives from IWMC, Call2Recycle Canada, and EPRA will be on campus in McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, to promote their recycling initiatives. They will also host games to share information on sorting waste aimed at students, faculty, and staff who live off-campus, hand out recycling bags and boxes for batteries, and also collect used batteries and electronic devices from members of the campus community for recycling.
Many electronic products can be recycled through this program, including
- office equipment such as computers, laptops, tablets, printers, monitors, keyboards, mice, and cables;
- communication devices such as telephones, cell phones, and pagers;
- entertainment equipment such as stereos, gaming devices, cameras, and GPS units;
- small household appliances such as toasters, coffee makers, vacuum cleaners, scales, clocks, irons, fans, and hair dryers;
- fitness and activity equipment such as smart watches, e-bikes and e-scooters, and treadmills.
For the list of accepted items for drop-off, visit RecycleMyElectronics.ca.
“Students play a vital role as changemakers in their communities,” said Joseph Chung, VP Account Management at Call2Recycle. “By recycling their used batteries through the Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! program, UPEI students are doing the right thing for the environment and helping build a circular economy where valuable materials are given a second life. Their leadership sets an example for others and demonstrates how small actions can add up to a big impact.”
Welcome Week Co-Coordinator, RUBONEKA Shema Alvin said he is excited to host this event because batteries power so much of people’s daily lives, but many do not know how to recycle them.
“This event is about making it easy for our community to do the right thing by collecting used batteries and showing people how simple it is to keep them out of the landfill,” he said.
PEI is a leader in responsible electronics recycling. EPRA/Recycle My Electronics has been operating in PEI since 2010 and is the only government-approved electronics recycling program in the province. To date, PEI residents and businesses have recovered nearly 8,000 metric tonnes of electronic devices, successfully diverting them from landfill and illegal export.
“EPRA/Recycle My Electronics warmly welcomes students, faculty, and the UPEI community back to campus,” said Maylia Parker, Executive Director, Atlantic, EPRA. “We are proud to provide safe, secure accessible drop-off locations here on the Island for diverting end-of-life electronics from the landfill, keeping valuable resources in the economy. This Welcome Week event is a fun and engaging way to share our program with the UPEI community and beyond, and answer any questions they may have. We’re thrilled to be part of it!”
“As UPEI welcomes its community back to campus, we’re thrilled for the opportunity to share information about PEI’s own Waste Watch Program and the positive impact each one of us makes through participation," said Tyson Bradley, CEO of Island Waste Management Corporation. "Waste Watch isn’t just curbside collection, it includes the proper and safe disposal of many special items, like batteries and electronics. We’re pleased that EPRA and Call2Recycle, two of our national stewardship program partners, are joining us at the event to bring awareness to the important work they do.”
About Island Waste Management Corporation (IWMC)
IWMC is a provincial crown corporation responsible for operating a cost-effective and environmentally responsible waste management system on Prince Edward Island. For more than 20 years, IWMC’s made-in-PEI sorting program, Waste Watch, has required residents, businesses, and visitors to separate the waste they produce.
About Call2Recycle Canada
Call2Recycle Canada provides diversified battery recycling programs for battery producers, retailers, municipalities, and more across Canada, recycling nearly five million kilograms of batteries per year across more than 12,000 collection sites.|
About Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA)
ERPA is a national, not-for-profit organization providing proven program management for electronics recycling across Canada. On behalf of industry nationwide, EPRA/Recycle My Electronics programs provide critical e-waste management services to businesses and residents. This includes several universities and colleges across Atlantic Canada.
