Call2Recycle Canada Launches New Battery-Powered Products Collection and Recycling as part of its Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! program in Québec

New province-wide initiative leverages proven battery expertise to safely manage a growing environmental and safety challenge

MONTRÉAL, July 2, 2026 /CNW/ - Call2Recycle Canada, the country's leading battery collection and recycling organization, today 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. 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 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."

The initiative builds on Call2Recycle's longstanding battery recycling activities in Québec, as well as the organization's experience managing battery-powered products through pilot projects and specialized collection initiatives in the province.

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.

To simplify recycling for residents and improve recovery outcomes, the program will accept both:

• Battery-powered products with built-in batteries; and
• Battery-powered products with removable batteries

Which will be collected through participating eco-centres.

Built on Québec Expertise and Local Partnerships

The program is being delivered in collaboration with Québec-based and local partners that will support collection infrastructure, logistics, sorting and processing activities across the province.

"Québec has developed a strong ecosystem of collection, sorting and recycling expertise, and we are proud to build this program alongside trusted local partners," said Zenobio. "Our established network and operational experience in the province allow us to deploy safe and effective solutions quickly while supporting Québec's circular economy and local infrastructure."

Collection services will be available through participating eco-centres across the province.

A Safety-First Approach to Battery-Powered Products

Battery-powered products can present serious safety risks when improperly managed, particularly when damaged lithium-ion batteries are involved. Collecting products intact helps ensure batteries are safely identified, recovered and processed through qualified downstream partners using proven battery management practices.

The program is designed to:

• Improve public access to safe recycling solutions;
• Reduce battery-related fire risks;
• Support producer environmental obligations;
• Increase battery recovery rates; and
• Advance Québec's circular economy objectives.

About Call2Recycle Canada 

Call2Recycle is Canada's leading organization for the collection and recycling of batteries and battery-powered products. As a trusted steward for more than 400 members, including producers of single-use and rechargeable batteries, the organization manages several leading programs, including: 

• Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! for household and e-bike batteries nationwide. 

• Recycle Your Vapes for battery-powered vapes and e-cigarettes in Québec. 

• Industry-led EV Battery Recovery Program for electric vehicle batteries nationwide. 

Call2Recycle operates provincially approved programs in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Québec, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Yukon, and serves as a registered Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Ontario and Alberta. 

For more information, visit call2recycle.ca. 

SOURCE Call2Recycle Canada, Inc.

Media Contact: Camille Vandeerstraeten, Communications Director, Call2Recycle, Email: [email protected] | Mobile: [phone]