E-Transport Battery Recycling

At the end of their useful life, and at the time of damage or identified defect, rechargeable lithium batteries, used to power e-bikes, need to be collected and recycled in accordance with both good practice and provincial and federal regulatory requirements for safe handling, shipping, and processing. To meet these requirements, Call2Recycle is expanding its service and recycling offerings to help obligated entities satisfy their obligations and ensure these batteries are responsibly managed at their end of life.

With more and more new e-transport products sold into the market, safe end-of-life management is essential to ensure their lithium-based batteries do not end up in landfills where they take up valuable space for non-recyclable items and could cause a thermal event.

If you manufacture, distribute, sell, rideshare, or rent battery-powered e-transport products, per provincial regulations, you may be obligated to participate in a stewardship program in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec.

For full program details:

e-transport RECYCLING GUIDE We encourage you to read the program recycling guide that Call2Recycle prepared which will provide additional details surrounding the recycling of e-transport batteries.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

WHO IS OBLIGATED TO PARTICIPATE?

The regulations regarding who is the obligated member varies by province.

The OEM e-transport product manufacturer/brand owner/first importer/company operator who has a place of business in Canada can be the member on behalf of their retail network.

If you import or acquire domestically finished e-transport product for the use in a ride sharing or rental company, your business may be an obligated steward in province(s) it does business in.

If you are the provincial importer of OEM e-transport products and/or aftermarket batteries and operate as a franchise of the OEM or independent bicycle retailer, and your OEM is not becoming a member of Call2Recycle, your business may be an obligated steward in the province(s) you operate within for that OEM’s brand.

If you import batteries and/or parts for the assembly of battery modules and/or packs in Canada, your business may be obligated in the province(s) you operate within.

If you import batteries and/or e-transport product for the sale out of corporate-owned stores and the internet (under your own company’s name or third-party brand name), your business may be obligated in the province(s) it does business in or ships to.

If you are importing, distributing and/or retailing a brand of e-transport product whose company does not have business operations in Canada (i.e. this brand is not owned by your company and there are no Canadian offices for this brand), your business may be an obligated member in the province(s) it does business in or ships to.

WHAT PRODUCTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE REGULATIONS?

This program is structured with a combination of ‘member services agreements’ for regulated products in regulated provinces for batteries and e-transport products, and ‘private business contracts’ in non-regulated jurisdictions, to achieve national scope for industry. Additionally, the British Columbia program covers the e-transport product in its entirety.

Manitoba, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island where regulations are in place:

• Batteries used to propel e-transport products sold as part of an OEM e-transport device.
• Batteries used to propel e-transport products sold as aftermarket replacement batteries.
• Batteries used to propel e-bikes sold as part of aftermarket conversion kits for bicycles.
• Batteries used to propel e-transport products used within ride sharing or rental business.

Saskatchewan, where regulations are recently in effect and Call2Recycle’s program plan is under review:

• We anticipate batteries used to propel e-transport products, their aftermarket replacements, conversion kits and those used in ride sharing or rental businesses will be included for the January 1, 2021 start date.

British Columbia where regulations require that the e-transport product must be recycled in its entirety (including battery). These regulations are in place today and companies are required to be compliant.

• e-transport product (e-bike) including the battery. The regulations for e-transport recycling in BC are more nuanced; please visit our British Columbia e-transport Recycling Program webpage for additional detail.

Ontario, where pending regulations state the aftermarket battery is recycled on its own.

• Aftermarket batteries: We will operate under member services agreement per the regulations.
• OEM batteries sold with e-transport product: We will operate under private business contract between individual companies and Call2Recycle, where we will collect and recycle the batteries used to propel e-transport products, conversion kits and those used in ride sharing or rental businesses.

Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland

• Where battery legislation does not yet exist, we will operate in these provinces based on ‘private business contract’ between individual companies and Call2Recycle, where we will collect and recycle batteries used to propel e-transport products, their aftermarket replacements, conversion kits and those used in ride sharing or rental businesses, and will do so for the same price as in regulated provinces.

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE REGULATIONS?

To learn more about provincial battery stewardship regulations for e-transport batteries, we encourage you to check the provincial regulations as follow:

• British Columbia Environmental Management Act Recycling Regulation
  The electronic and electrical product category includes batteries that could be used in electronic or electrical products, including primary batteries and rechargeable batteries. This applies to batteries used in electronic sporting equipment.
• Manitoba Waste Reduction and Prevention (WRAP) Act
  Batteries are included in the Household Hazardous Material and Prescribed Material Stewardship Regulation. This includes devices that convert chemical energy to electrical energy and that can be restored to full charge by the application of electrical energy.
• Ontario Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks
  The final regulation for producer responsible end-of-life product management for single-use and rechargeable batteries will take effect in July 2020. The provincial government is presently reviewing the final regulation, and we await its publishing.
• Prince Edward Island Environmental Protection Act: Materials Stewardship and Recycling Regulations
  The Act and regulations list rechargeable and single-use batteries as designated materials. In the case of a rechargeable or single-use battery contained in a device or product that is a designated material under these regulations, (a) subsections (1) and (2) do not apply; and (b) the rechargeable or single-use battery shall be dealt with in accordance with the stewardship program for the device or product in which it is contained.
• Quebec Environmental Quality Act
  Article 29 establishes the products covered by Section 2 of Chapter VI, namely most rechargeable batteries and single-use batteries. Batteries placed on the market as a component of another product, such as batteries placed on the market in a watch, a toy, a tool, a bicycle, a scooter, etc. are also covered (see Article 3).
• Saskatchewan Household Hazardous Waste Products Stewardship Regulations
  The recently released regulations, include requirements for single-use and rechargeable batteries defined as devices that convert chemical energy to electrical energy and that can be restored to full charge by the application of electrical energy. The Saskatchewan Ministry of the Environment has not yet announced the program effective date for 2020.

WHAT RECYCLING OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR E-TRANSPORT BATTERIES?

• For personal use e-transport products, Call2Recycle will supply UN-approved, pre-addressed fire-retardant battery shipping boxes to bicycle retailers who are registered as collection sites with Call2Recycle.When the consumer returns an end-of-life or defective battery, it is inspected then placed in the fire-retardant shipping box and sent by approved carrier for recycling at a pre-approved processor.  Additional boxes are ordered from Call2Recycle at any time by calling 1-888-665-0908.
• For ride sharing e-transport products, at the time such batteries are damaged in the field and/or reach end-of-life, the operator will call Call2Recycle at 1-888-665-0908 and discuss quantity, location, situation. The proper sized container will be sent to location for loading by operator’s employees based upon clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) pre-approved by both organizations. Call2Recycle will arrange for pick-up and recycling.

WHO DO I CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION?

Member Services Team: Toll free 1-888-665-0908