NORTH WELLINGTON – Owners of lithium-ion batteries are responsible for correctly recycling them once they’re no longer needed in order to avoid potential fires.
Not-for-profit organization, Call2Recycle, is a Canadian leader for battery collection and recycling.
The organization was founded in 1997 to protect and preserve the environment by collecting and recycling consumer batteries across the country.
“Batteries have changed especially over the last five years,” marketing and communications vice president Jon McQuaid told the Community News.
“There’s more and more of these type of devices that we’re enjoying as consumers, but these lithium-ion batteries hold more power and they need to be purchased, properly managed and charged safely.”
Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! is a program run by Call2Recycle. It’s funded by battery manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers.
Since its inception, the program has recycled over 55 million kilograms of batteries, keeping them out of local landfills.
All batteries pose a safety risk when thrown into the trash or regular recycling.
“They could be crushed and potentially cause fires and harm our community and our workers,” McQuaid said.
He noted batteries can hold a residual charge and if they come in contact with something in the garbage it could cause a spark that leads to a fire.
Another dangerous scenario is if a battery travels to a waste processing facility and gets crushed by machinery, which could also start a fire.
“All batteries need to be recycled at end-of-life not just lithium-ion batteries,” he said. “So even your alkaline, your double A, triple A, your C’s and D’s … all must be recycled.”
Recycling lithium-ion batteries is particularly important due the nature of their power.
The Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! program operates in partnership with 15,000 collection sites across the country, allowing consumers to drop off their batteries at large retail partners including Home Depot, Staples, Rona and Rexall.
“We work with great retail partners and municipal partners for residents,” he said.
The program’s website, recycleyourbatteries.ca, allows users to input their postal code “and find your closest drop off location,” McQuaid said.
“Our mission is to ensure recycling habits are formed early and provide Canadians with accessible drop off points.”
Recycling process
Once the batteries are out of the home, they are safely transported to a sorting partner. The batteries are then sorted based on weight, size and chemistry.
“They are then safely transported further downstream to one of our recycling process partners, where the batteries are broken down and the materials/components can be reused to make new materials,” McQuaid said.
The recycled materials can be made into new products including:
– batteries;
– stainless steel appliances;
– pots and pans;
– golf clubs; and
– bikes.
“Part of our mission is to ensure a healthy Canadian circular economy,” he said.
McQuaid noted the importance of recycling batteries all year long and not just during Fire Prevention Week.
Single-use and rechargeable batteries are accepted at:
– Harriston Waste Facility;
– Riverstown Waste Facility;
– Young’s Home Hardware (Mount Forest);
– Canadian Tire (Mount Forest);
– Dobben’s Hardware (Drayton); and
– Mar Span Home Hardware (just outside Drayton).
