A Canadian battery recycler reported record results last year in its annual report, while also expanding its programming and reach across the country.
Call2Recycle had its third straight record-breaking year in 2025, collecting more than 18 million pounds of batteries nationwide — a 17% increase from the year prior.
The organization credits that growth to several initiatives. It expanded its regulated collection services to Alberta and the Yukon Territory, ensuring that about 90% of Canadians have access to recycling services within about 10 miles of their homes.
Call2Recycle expanded its EV battery service nationwide in 2025, arranging for more than 100 EV battery pickups — a 286% increase from 2024. It also launched a vape recycling program in Quebec, allowing residents to turn in nicotine- and cannabis-based devices.
“2025 was a transformative year for our organization and for recycling in Canada,” said Joe Zenobio, Call2Recycle president and CEO. “While we are proud to have achieved another record year for battery collections, we are equally proud of the progress we made in anticipating emerging environmental challenges and developing long-term, practical solutions to address them.”
Those solutions include the agency’s smart containers, which notify program managers when they’re full and can detect temperature increases to mitigate potential thermal events. These containers debuted in 2024, and the agency deployed more than 460 containers in 2025.
Call2Recycle also conducts an annual education campaign each summer. The “Protect What Matters, Be Battery Safe” campaign is entering its third year in 2026 and directs people at all stages of a battery’s life cycle how to properly use, dispose of and process batteries. Additional campaigns are targeted at school children and football fans to spur participation.
Other efforts in 2025 included supporting the recycling of battery-powered transportation devices in British Columbia; collaborating with several provinces in regards to their extended producer responsibility requirements; and arranging for automatic pickup services in Alberta and Quebec City.
Call2Recycle launched in 1997 and since then has collected more than 143 million pounds of batteries across more than 15,000 collection sites.
