Call2Recycle Canada, the country's leading battery collection and recycling organization, has announced the launch of its new Battery-Powered Products collection and recycling activities in Québec as an addition to its Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! program. This first-of-its-kind initiative is designed to safely collect and responsibly manage battery-powered products at the end of life.
Addressing a Growing Environmental and Safety Challenge
The new province-wide initiative leverages proven battery expertise to manage a growing environmental and safety challenge: 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.
Building on 15 Years of Operational Experience
With more than 15 years of operational experience in Québec, 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 Québec.
“Battery-powered products are, first and foremost, battery management challenges,” said Joe Zenobio, President and CEO at Call2Recycle Canada. “As 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 Québec, and this program is a natural extension of that leadership.”
Supporting Québec’s Circular Economy and Safety Objectives
The initiative supports Québec’s 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 récupération (CFER) and RECYC-QUÉBEC, 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.
