A nonprofit associated with the Yukon’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) recycling program is launching a battery-recycling initiative in the territory.
Call2Recycle is running the extended producer responsibility program for recycling batteries in the territory.
The EPR framework shifts the responsibility of recycling onto the shoulders of producers. Per the Extended Producer Responsibility Regulation, the “steward” or person who makes the material is responsible for collecting and recovering it. Stewards can strike agreements with PROs who will operate programs of collection and recovery on their behalf.
Those programs — referred to as stewardship programs — “must provide reasonable and free access to collection facilities or collection services,” per the EPR regulation.
Call2Recycle launched its stewardship program in the territory on July 1.
The program has already been operating in the territory on a voluntary basis, said Jon McQuaid, vice-president of communications for the company.
“We're going to have additional collection sites through retail partners, such as Staples, through municipal partners as well as other recycling categories across the territory, just so residents have more accessibility,” he said.
“And then we'll also be doing additional collection drives and events to reach more remote communities as well.”
People will be able to drop off their old batteries at these collection sites, McQuaid said. He said that there will be collection sites outside of Whitehorse.
According to a spokesperson for the company, batteries accepted include single-use and rechargeable dry-cell household batteries, including batteries for e-bikes and e-scooters, weighing up to 5 kilograms each.
From there, the batteries will be collected and transported to be sorted, he said. According to the Call2Recycle stewardship plan, there are no sorters operating in the territory, so batteries collected here will be sorted in British Columbia.
The batteries are then separated by weight, size and chemistry, McQuaid said, as there are different recycling processes for each one. Once sorted, the batteries go for recycling processing, where they’re broken down and reused to make new products like stainless steel, appliances, bicycles, golf clubs and new batteries, McQuaid said.
McQuaid said Call2Recycle has worked in numerous other regions of Canada, from British Columbia to Ontario to Prince Edward Island.
“We have the experience and the expertise to understand the regional differences of a territory versus a large province versus a small province,” he said.
“And I think because we're a national, not for profit organization, there's benefits and economies of scale and efficiencies to launch in the Yukon that we can bring the experiences and learning from launching in other jurisdictions.”
The Yukon’s EPR program received criticism from the Yukon Chamber of Commerce, national non-profit Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses and a local business owner. They asked for the program to be delayed until 2026.
The Chamber of Commerce claimed the EPR program would lead to higher costs for consumers.
McQuaid told the News that EPR has proven to be successful across Canada and across the world.
He said Call2Recycle will work closely with the Yukon government to ensure challenges and opportunities are managed in a way that benefits consumers.
Contact Talar Stockton at talar.stockton@yukon-news.com
