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.

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“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.