Spring forward and recharge your home for Daylight Saving Time

As Canadians prepare for Daylight Saving Time on March 12, Call2Recycle reminds consumers to check their smoke detectors and recycle their old batteries

TORONTO, March 7, 2017 /CNW/ - This spring, Call2Recycle®, Canada's national consumer battery collection and recycling program, is reminding consumers to re-energize their homes before the start of Daylight Saving Time. As Canadians prepare to move their clocks forward on March 12 for longer days, Call2Recycle is reminding consumers to help keep their families safe by checking their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replacing and recycling their old batteries.  

Are you ready to 'spring forward?' Here are five simple ways to recharge your home for the start of Daylight Saving Time:

1. Turn your clocks forward. Daylight Saving Time reminds us to move ahead by an hour. Although many digital clocks and smartphones automatically adjust, don't forget to change the clocks on your appliances (stoves, microwaves, etc.), coffee machines, watches, and of course, the good old-fashioned battery-powered clocks. This is also the perfect time to replace their batteries, allowing them to keep time accurately all year long.
2. Prepare for emergencies. With the rainy spring season on the way, you never know when a storm might knock your power out. Make sure your flashlights are stocked with working batteries and backups so that you're prepared for anything.
3. Check your alarms. Safety should always be a priority. Are your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors working properly? Now is a good time to replace the old batteries with new ones so that your home is always protected.
4. Spring cleaning. Spring is the perfect time to tidy and declutter your home. Do you have a junk drawer where you've been hoarding old batteries?  There's no better time to clear up space in that drawer by recycling them.
5. Recycle your batteries. Once you have finished your spring cleaning, take your used battery collection to be recycled. Properly disposing of used batteries has a positive impact on the environment by keeping them out of landfills. When you recycle your batteries with Call2Recycle, materials are extracted that can be used in the making of new products, including new batteries.

"In 2016, more than 2.7-million kilograms of household batteries were recycled by consumers in Canada. We are so pleased by these record-breaking numbers, and we expect to continue that success in 2017," said Joe Zenobio, President of Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. "Daylight Saving Time is the perfect opportunity to remind Canadians to change their clocks, replace their smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries, and responsibly recycle their old batteries."  

Taking the time to turn in your batteries with Call2Recycle is as simple and convenient as turning back the clock. Today, more than 91 percent of residents in Canada live within 15 kilometers of one of Call2Recycle's public drop-off locations. To find a collection site, Canadians can visit the Call2Recycle site locator, plug in their postal code and find their nearest battery recycling location within seconds.

About Call2Recycle Canada, Inc.
Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. is committed to protecting and preserving the environment through collecting and recycling consumer batteries. Founded in 1997, the not-for-profit organization works on behalf of stakeholders to provide its battery recycling program to consumers across Canada through 8,000 convenient drop-off locations. Visit call2recycle.ca and follow Call2Recycle at facebook.com/call2recycle and twitter.com/call2recycle.

SOURCE Call2Recycle

Kelly Olive, Environics Communications (Canada), [email protected], 416-969-2725; Linda Gabor, VP of Marketing & Customer Service, Call2Recycle®, [email protected], [phone]