Innovative solution to battery waste: Call2Recycle and EDI Inc.'s sorting technology
Armed with a first-of-its-kind sorting technology in North America, Call2Recycle has teamed up with Electronic Distributors International Incorporated (EDI Inc.) in Orillia to ensure that used batteries are redistributed instead of wasted.
The new sorting technology at EDI Inc. can separate batteries’ materials automatically instead of by hand, making it much easier for them to be reused for items such as e-bikes and golf clubs.
“The X-ray technology is the newest technology on the market to be able to do that,” said Norm Yorke from EDI Inc. The sorting equipment has allowed the Orillia-based recycling company to double its capacity and process almost 500 kilograms of batteries per hour. “It is looking for the chemistry of the battery. It’s not looking for what the battery label says,” added Yorke.
Recycling batteries is becoming more crucial with the rise in battery use, which is estimated to be 100 per household at a time.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
“We’re trying to raise awareness around the importance of recycling batteries,” said Jon McQuaid, Call2Recycle’s vice president of communications, marketing and innovation. His organization’s mission is to recycle as many as possible.
Canadians helped divert approximately 6 million kilograms of batteries from landfills across the country in 2023, which means fewer toxic chemicals ending up in the environment.
However, Call2Recycle also plans to make recycling batteries even more accessible with new ‘smart’ drop-off containers across 12,000 sites. The ‘smart’ containers can detect heat when they are filled.
“Don’t throw those batteries in the garbage,” urged McQuaid. “Get them out of your homes and get them to one of our convenient drop-off locations.”
Call2Recycle plans to launch its battery collection program with smart drop-off containers this winter.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.