Call2Recycle and Electronic Distributors International Inc. (EDI) expand Ontario’s battery recycling infrastructure


TORONTO, Feb. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Call2Recycle Canada and Electronic Distributors International Inc. (EDI) are pleased to announce the launch of a new partnership to increase the sorting capacity of end-of-life batteries in Ontario. EDI’s sorting plant in Orillia (ON) will join the existing battery collection and recycling network operated by Call2Recycle, supporting the Ontario economy and increasing the battery sorting capacity in the province by 30%.

Batteries are an essential element for Canadian households and businesses and recycling them plays an important part in Canada’s commitment to manage hazardous waste responsibly. This new agreement will significantly expand the battery recycling infrastructure in Ontario, and help increase the collection, sorting and management of increased volumes of batteries in the province.

“We‘re delighted to work with EDI as we share very close visions of responsible recycling of waste materials and supporting Canada’s circular economy,” said Joe Zenobio, President of Call2Recycle Canada. “The Orillia sorting facility will be a major asset to support Ontario’s commitment to divert batteries from landfills and develop a reliable and sustainable recycling chain.”

“EDI is looking forward to working with Call2Recycle to help the province meet its diversion targets,” said Norm Yorke, Managing Partner at EDI. “We have been working with private, public and government entities for over 13 years with a goal to create a cradle-to-cradle solution for all their assets. Partnering with Call2Recycle will further strengthen our battery recycling program and in turn strengthen the businesses and government entities we work with.”

This new partnership comes as part of Call2Recycle’s commitment to expand its recycling network through its continued open-supplier strategy and the addition of new sorting and processing partners, in order to better pursue its mission to increase the collection and diversion of end-of-life batteries in Ontario and across Canada.

Key Facts

  • Sorting is an essential phase of the waste collection and recycling process, in this case ensuring that the used batteries are properly separated and that the recycling “streams” do not contain mixed chemistries. This allows the used batteries stream to be safely recycled through appropriate methods, ensuring the highest quality output and reducing the overall environmental footprint.
  • Call2Recycle is Canada’s leading battery recycling organization and has supported consumers, communities and governments for the past 25 years, with almost 40 million kgs of batteries collected and recycled,
  • EDI is one of Canada’s leading electronics recycling companies with industry specific certifications such as R2V3, ISO14001, ISO45001, ISO9001 along with several security clearances and memberships.

About Call2Recycle Canada, Inc.

Call2Recycle® is Canada’s leading organization for battery collection and recycling, fulfilling product stewardship obligations on behalf of over 400 members, including producers of single-use and rechargeable batteries. It is the provincially-approved consumer battery collection and recycling program for British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island, and operates as a registered Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Ontario according to the Ontario Batteries Regulation. Call2Recycle accepts household batteries (weighing up to 5 kg) for recycling and eTransport batteries used to power eBikes, eScooters, eSkateboards, Hoverboards and Electric Vehicles (EVs).

Since its inception in 1997, Call2Recycle has diverted almost 40 million kilograms of batteries from Canadian landfills. This reputation for excellence has enabled Call2Recycle to maintain trusted, long-term relationships with stakeholders and a network of more than 10,000 participating collection locations across Canada, including at leading retailers and municipal facilities.

About Electronic Distributors International Inc. (EDI)

EDI started in 2010 with a goal to offer a recycling option tailored specifically to business. Since that time, we have established processes achieved certifications and passed different security clearances with this goal in mind. We have grown every year and now have three physical locations in the Province of Ontario. Orillia is our Head Office and main production facility, our Ottawa facility is located in the heart of Kanata to service various tech and government agencies and our most recent location is in Brampton which allows us quick response times to our family of GTA clients.

EDI was the first recycling company in Canada to incorporate all electric Avant loaders and heavy equipment to feed its processing system. Not only do we do what we do to lessen the impact of the material we recycle on the environment but we look at ways of reducing our own footprint while doing this. Operating with this type of equipment allows us to do all our work indoors while at the same time holding the safety of our valued staff to the highest standards.

Over the past 13 years EDI has established strong partners across Canada and the US which allows us to service customers’ needs no matter the province or state they may be located. During this time EDI has also listened to the needs of its customer base and we have expanded our services to include, warehousing, logistics, decommissioning services, office moves, manage employee remote services, onsite secure data destruction while still offering complete recycling and ITAD services.

Media contact:

Charles-Antoine Dubois, Bilingual Corporate Communications Manager, Call2Recycle Canada

Email: cadubois@appelarecycler.ca Mobile: 647-464-7381

Norman Yorke, Managing Partner, Electronic Distributors International Inc.

Email: n.yorke@ediinc.ca Mobile: 705 727 8584