Canadians recycled 4.1M Kilograms of used batteries in 2020

TORONTO — Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. announced 4.1 million kilograms of household batteries were recycled in 2020. Despite the global pandemic impacting battery recycling habits, Canadians continuing to recycle their batteries safely contributed to the largest amount of batteries diverted from landfills in Call2Recycle’s history.

With frequent lockdowns and restrictions across the country impacting battery recycling behaviour, Call2Recycle focused its efforts on educating Canadians about the importance of safely protecting and storing their used batteries at home until it was safe to visit a drop-off location. The 2020 collections results represent Canadians’ unwavering dedication to battery recycling and safeguarding the environment despite the challenges they faced. While battery recycling momentum increased across the country, regulated provinces British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario, which implemented its battery recycling regulation on July 1, 2020, saw the highest collection results.

• Battery consumers across Canada recycled more than 4.1 million kilograms of household batteries in 2020.
• Provinces with regulations for end-of-life battery management (Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island) continued diverting used batteries from landfills despite COVID-19 disruptions:
  • Ontario residents collected 1.7 million kilograms of used batteries in 2020, including collections from July 1, operating under the province’s new regulation for end-of-life battery management.
  • Quebec residents collected 1.2 million kilograms of used batteries, maintaining a steady pace with collections from 2019.
  • British Columbia residents recycled over 780,000 kilograms of used batteries resulting in an annual increase of more than 8 percent.
  • Manitoba residents recycled more than 98,000 kilograms of used batteries resulting in a slight decrease compared to 2019.
  • Prince Edward Island residents recycled almost 20,000 kilograms of used batteries resulting in a decrease compared to 2019.

“Given the circumstances last year, we are beyond grateful for Canadians’ continued commitment to recycling their used batteries and the significant role they play in helping to protect our environment while keeping our homes and communities safe,” said Joe Zenobio, president of Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. in a prepared statement. “Thanks to the ongoing support of our collection and program partners, we navigated the challenges of COVID-19, and our collective efforts resulted in recycling more batteries than ever before.”