Call2Recycle Canada announced the launch of its new Battery-Powered Products collection and recycling activities in Qu茅bec as an addition to its Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! program. A first-of-its-kind initiative designed to safely collect and responsibly manage battery-powered products at the end of life.
The new initiative addresses a growing environmental and safety challenge in the province: the increasing number of everyday products that contain embedded or removable batteries, which require specialized handling and recycling. As more consumer products become battery-powered, including toys, personal care devices, smoke detectors, tools, vapes, e-bikes, and mobility devices, the need for safe, accessible and battery-focused end-of-life solutions has become increasingly critical.
With more than 15 years of operational experience in Qu茅bec, Call2Recycle is uniquely positioned to manage these materials safely and efficiently. Since launching its battery collection and recycling program in the province in 2011, the organization has built strong partnerships with municipalities, eco-centres, retailers, government stakeholders and environmental organizations across Qu茅bec.
鈥淏attery-powered products are, first and foremost, battery management challenges,鈥� said Joe Zenobio, President and CEO at Call2Recycle Canada. 鈥淎s batteries become increasingly integrated into the products Quebecers use every day, safe collection and handling require specialized expertise. Call2Recycle has spent more than a decade building the infrastructure, safety protocols, partnerships and trust needed to responsibly manage batteries across Qu茅bec, and this program is a natural extension of that leadership.鈥�
The initiative builds on Call2Recycle鈥檚 longstanding battery recycling activities in Qu茅bec, as well as the organization鈥檚 experience managing battery-powered products through pilot projects and specialized collection initiatives in the province.
The initiative supports Qu茅bec鈥檚 environmental objectives and directly addresses the regulatory amendments introduced in 2022 to the Regulation respecting the recovery and reclamation of products by enterprises concerning batteries. These amendments added certain battery-powered products with embedded batteries to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements, including vaping devices, personal care products, smoke detectors, and others. The goal is to ensure the implementation of a collection and recycling solution for batteries contained in these products.
Developed in close collaboration with the Centres de formation en entreprise et r茅cup茅ration (CFER) and RECYC-QU脡BEC, this initiative provides manufacturers, importers, retailers and consumers with a turnkey solution for the safe collection and recycling of battery-powered products, while helping to reduce the environmental and safety risks associated with improperly managed batteries.
To simplify recycling for residents and improve recovery outcomes, the program will accept both:
鈥� Battery-powered products with built-in batteries; and
鈥� Battery-powered products with removable batteries
Which will be collected through participating eco-centers.
The program is being delivered in collaboration with Qu茅bec-based and local partners that will support collection infrastructure, logistics, sorting and processing activities across the province. 鈥淨u茅bec has developed a strong ecosystem of collection, sorting and recycling expertise, and we are proud to build this program alongside trusted local partners,鈥� said Zenobio. 鈥淥ur established network and operational experience in the province allow us to deploy safe and effective solutions quickly while supporting Qu茅bec鈥檚 circular economy and local infrastructure.鈥�