P.E.I. is making strides on battery recycling, says national advocacy group

Delaney Kelly · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 08, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: March 8

Prince Edward Islanders charged up successful 2024, mounting a caller grounds for recycling their utilized batteries. 

Jon McQuaid, the vice president of marketing, communications and innovation astatine Call2Recycle Canada, said 48,000 kilograms of batteries were recycled successful the province last year, "another summation year-over-year connected the Island."

That was portion of implicit 6.8 cardinal kilograms of batteries recycled crossed Canada, helium said — including everything from the smallest remote power batteries to powerfulness sources used connected devices similar electrical bikes and scooters to large motortruck motor batteries.

McQuaid said P.E.I. is 1 of the starring provinces for artillery recycling, adding that batteries bash not beryllium successful the garbage for respective reasons.  

Primarily, helium said, "We don't privation batteries to extremity up successful landfill, wherever they could airs a hazard to wildlife, quality and water."

Then there's the economical outgo of throwing batteries away.  

McQuaid said recycling them opens the doorway to creating a circular economy, meaning their components can beryllium reused to marque caller products ranging from golf clubs to stainless-steel appliances. 

Where to powerfulness down? 

One spot wherever radical connected the Island tin recycle their household and motor conveyance batteries is Princess Auto successful Charlottetown.

Store person Mitchell Vogan said helium has decidedly seen an summation in customers recycling their batteries this year, perchance owed successful portion to respective promotional programs that Princess Auto runs. 

"If idiosyncratic brings backmost their aged [motorized vehicle] battery, we region that interest disconnected of the caller battery, truthful that it's a mode for them to not person to wage that halfway interest and a mode for america to get the batteries successful to recycle properly," Vogan said. 

He added that sometimes Princess Auto volition connection $15 acquisition cards to radical who bring successful motorized conveyance batteries without buying a caller one, arsenic an inducement for Islanders to support recycling. 

Vogan estimated that the store recycles betwixt 80 and 200 centrifugal conveyance batteries per month. 

"Recycling them decently is just… a overmuch safer mode for everybody," helium said.

Vogan wasn't surprised to larn that the stats amusement P.E.I. has been recycling much batteries these days. In the past mates of years, helium said helium has seen much radical travel successful with batteries that they antecedently hadn't known what to bash with. 

"I deliberation radical didn't cognize that they tin recycle it, truthful they conscionable stored it somewhere, permission it successful a store oregon basement oregon something.

"There is definitely… an involvement connected the Island for definite to enactment environmentally aware. And I deliberation that the Island has done a truly bully job," Vogan added. 

Keeping the complaint going

While this twelvemonth was a twelvemonth to observe successful presumption of artillery recycling, McQuaid said there is inactive country for improvement, fixed the astir 100 artillery disposal locations connected the Island.  

"There's much opportunity, there's much maturation for residents and Islanders to get involved," helium said.

To find the nearest location, Islanders can visit the Call2recycle website and enter their postal code.