Batteries Dead? Recycle Instead! Spring 2021

February 23, 2021

Will you be recycling your dead batteries at the curb this spring? See the list of Ontario communities scheduled for Spring 2021 below!

What is it?

In the spring and fall, Raw Materials Company teams up with Ontario municipalities to provide people with a convenient option to recycle used household batteries at the curbside.

How does it work?

First, battery recycling bags are sent to households by the municipality, either through the mail, inserted into a newspaper or left behind by the recycling driver.

Following the instructions on the bag, people are asked to round up all of their used batteries and place them inside the bag sealing it with the zip tab.

On your recycling day that falls during the collection week advertised by the municipality, you set your bag out with the recycling. It's that easy.

The collection container and setout instructions are unique to each municipality. Please refer to your municipal website below for specific setout instructions and collection dates.

Considerations

This recycling option is not provided year round and is only offered in the communities listed below. Batteries must never be placed inside a recycling box loose or set to the curb outside of a designated collection period. Batteries must never be tossed into the trash.

Spring 2021

Region of Peel

The Regional Municipality of Peel includes the City of Brampton, City of Mississauga and the Town of Caledon.

The curbside battery collection for the Region of Peel is scheduled to run from April 12 - 22, 2021.

Please visit the Region of Peel website for more information.

The Regional Municipality of Durham

Durham Region includes more than 190,000 homes serviced by curbside recycling throughout the Cities of Oshawa and Pickering, the Towns of Ajax and Whitby, the Municipality of Clarington and the Townships of Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge.

The curbside battery collection for Durham Region is scheduled to run from April 19 - 23, 2021.

Please visit the Region of Durham website for more information.

City of Kawartha Lakes

The curbside battery collection for the City of Kawartha Lakes is scheduled to run from March 8 - 11, 2021.

Please visit the City of Kawartha Lakes website for more information.

Dufferin County

There are eight municipalities that make up Dufferin County including the Townships of Amaranth, East Garafraxa, Melancthon, Mulmur and the Towns of Grand Valley, Mono, Orangeville, and Shelburne.

The curbside battery collection for Dufferin County is scheduled to run from March 15 - 18, 2021.

Please visit the Dufferin County website for more information.

Preparing your Batteries for Recycling

Most of the batteries that we use everyday do not require any special preparation before we store or recycle them, however some do. To reduce any risk of short circuit, please take precautionary measures by placing masking tape on the terminal ends when storing or recycling the batteries mentioned in the link below. Pay particular attention to rechargeable batteries, lithium batteries and any 9-volt batteries.

Learn how to prepare your batteries for recycling.

Recycling Sealed Lead Acid Batteries

Please note that sealed lead acid batteries are regulated under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act (TDGA) and are not to be included in the curbside collection. To find a local drop-off location, please check with your municipality.

Fall Curbside Collection

Any Ontario municipality who participates in this program is eligible to receive an incentive back to help cover the costs of promotion and logistics.

Get in touch with us today to find out how your community can participate in this convenient program!

How do I recycle batteries year round?

If you miss your collection date or live in an area where the service is not provided, you can always find your closest Ontario recycling point by typing your postal code or city name into this handy search tool. There are over 4000 recycling points in Ontario for household batteries.

Lead Acid batteries like the type you would find in your car must be taken to a Municipal Hazardous & Special Waste Depot (MHSW) or returned to a participating retailer.

The collection, transportation and processing of primary and rechargeable consumer batteries in Ontario weighing less than 5kg is funded by battery producers.

Raw Materials Company Inc.

The Battery Recycling Blog