eBike + eScooter Battery Recycling
Starting January 1st, 2021

At the end of their useful life, and at the time of damage or identified defect, rechargeable lithium batteries used to power eBikes and eScooters need to be collected and recycled in accordance with both good practice and provincial & 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 responsible managed at their end of life.

With an estimated 40,000 new eBikes and eScooters sold into market in 2019, the safe end-of-life management, is essential to ensure their lithium-based batteries do not end up in landfills where they could cause a thermal event and take up valuable space for non-recyclable items.

If you manufacture, distribute, sell, ride share or rent battery-powered eBikes and/or eScooters, per provincial regulations, you may be obligated to participate in a stewardship program in British Columbia (B.C.), Saskatchewan (Sask.), Manitoba (Man.), Ontario (Ont.), Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), Quebec (Que.).

For full program details:

• EBIKE + ESCOOTER PROGRAM RECYCLING GUIDE We encourage you to read the program recycling guide that Call2Recycle prepared which will provide additional details surrounding the recycling of batteries used to propel eBikes and eScooters.
• EBIKE & ESCOOTER” WEBINAR RECORDING March 10th – English and March 12th – French

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

WHO IS OBLIGATED TO PARTICIPATE?

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

• The OEM bicycle/scooter 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 eBike and eScooters 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 eBikes and/or eScooters 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 eBikes and eScooters 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 bicycle whose company does not have business operations in Canada (i.e. this brand of bicycle/scooter 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, and ‘private business contracts’ in non-regulated jurisdictions, to achieve national scope for industry.

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

• Batteries used to propel eBikes and eScooters sold as part of an OEM bike or scooter
• Batteries used to propel eBikes and eScooters sold as aftermarket replacement batteries
• Batteries used to propel eBikes sold as part of aftermarket conversion kits for bicycles
• Batteries used to propel eBikes and eScooters 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 eBikes and eScooters, 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 the OEM bike/scooter + battery are to be recycled together, while the aftermarket battery is recycled on its own. These regulations are in place today and companies are required to be compliant.

• Aftermarket batteries: We will operate under member services agreement per the regulations.

• OEM batteries sold with bike/scooter: We will operate under ‘private business contract’ between individual companies and Call2Recycle as an interim solution while we work with the MOE on a permanent solution for the entire bike/scooter/battery.  During this interim period we will collect and recycle just the batteries used to propel eBikes and eScooters, conversion kits and those used in ride sharing or rental businesses.

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 bike/scooter: We will operate under private business contract between individual companies and Call2Recycle, where we will collect and recycle the batteries used to propel eBikes and eScooters, 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 eBikes and eScooters, 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-bikes and scooter 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 eBIKES and eSCOOTERS BATTERIES?

• For personal use eBikes and eScooters, 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 eBikes and eScooters, at the time eBike and/or eScooters 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

KEY DATES

• March 10, 2020: Call2Recycle hosted an informational webinar
• March 12, 2020: Call2Recycle hosted a French language informational webinar
• April 21, 2020: The environmental handling fee structure was published
• April-December 2020: Obligated entities declare commitment to participate
• January 1, 2021: Environmental handling fees applied