Saskatchewan Approves New Battery Recycling Program

Released on December 30, 2020

Saskatchewan’s new recycling program for consumer batteries will provide an option for people in various parts of the province to dispose of their household batteries in an environmentally responsible manner.

Launching January 1, 2021, the program is operated by Call2Recycle Canada Inc., a non-profit environmental stewardship organization that has been voluntarily collecting batteries in Saskatchewan for recycling since 1997.  Call2Recycle met all the regulatory requirements of a government-approved program under The Household Hazardous Waste Products Stewardship Regulations, 2019.

“This recycling program is a positive step for the environment and for the people of Saskatchewan,” Environment Minister Warren Kaeding said.  “Having a convenient and important program in place to keep batteries and other hazardous materials out of our landfills helps support provincial goals laid out in our Solid Waste Management Strategy.”

“I would like to extend my thanks to the Government of Saskatchewan for its commitment to battery recycling in the province,” Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. President Joe Zenobio said.  “Under the new regulation, Call2Recycle’s program will connect residents with many easily accessible and convenient battery drop-off locations across the province.  We encourage all residents to safely drop off their batteries at their nearest collection location to help create a more sustainable environment for generations to come.”

The program accepts used single-use and rechargeable consumer batteries (weighing less than five kilograms each), excluding lead acid batteries.  In partnership with municipalities and retailers, Call2Recycle has established convenient drop-off locations across the province for Saskatchewan residents, including in all SARCAN depots.

“We are excited for SARCAN's 73 collection depots to be a part of Call2Recycle's national network of battery collection sites,” SARC and SARCAN Recycling Executive Director Amy McNeil, said.  “Our team of SARCAN recyclers is ready to help the people of Saskatchewan divert even more hazardous materials from our land and waterways, which means protecting our environment for generations to come.”

As part of the new program, an environmental handling fee will be paid at the point of purchase effective January 1, 2021.  The fee rates range, depending on the size of battery and the chemistry type.  For example, fees for AAA and AA batteries are $0.02 and $0.04, respectively.

The fees will be paid to Call2Recycle for the collection, transportation and recycling of the batteries at their end-of-life. For the full fee structure and a map of drop-off locations, please visit https://www.call2recycle.ca/saskatchewan/.

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