New Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! smart container and collection boxes support UCalgary’s sustainability leadership and empower students to take climate action
Call2Recycle, Canada’s leading not-for-profit battery collection and recycling organization, is proud to partner with the University of Calgary to enhance and expand battery recycling services across campus through the Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! program. This collaboration strengthens UCalgary’s longstanding commitment to sustainability and supports Call2Recycle’s belief in empowering the next generation to lead the transition to a greener, more circular future.
Battery recycling has been a key component of UCalgary’s hazardous materials management program for many years, led by the Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) team. The university already diverts more than 2,000 kilograms of used batteries annually, ensuring hazardous materials are kept out of landfills and are processed responsibly.
“This new partnership helps us better understand how materials are handled after they leave campus,” says Eoin O’Grady, Associate Director, Laboratory Safety and University Biosafety Officer, Environment, Health and Safety. “Until now, some batteries were sold to metal recyclers, while others were shipped for recycling at cost, but details about how they were processed were limited.”
As part of the partnership, UCalgary has installed a smart battery collection container in the Taylor Family Digital Library, one of the busiest spaces on campus. Equipped with internal sensors to track fill levels and temperature, the container ensures safe, efficient, and timely collection. Additional Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! collection boxes across campus offer even more convenient drop-off points, making it easier than ever for the community to participate.
Students, faculty, and staff can recycle both rechargeable and single-use batteries (up to five kilograms each) from electronics, tools, and small devices. Once collected, batteries are sorted by type and chemistry and processed by certified recycling partners, where valuable materials are recovered and kept within Canada’s manufacturing supply chain.
“We are proud to support the University of Calgary as it expands its battery recycling program,” says Joseph Chung, VP of Account Management at Call2Recycle. “Since launching our Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! program in Alberta in April 2025, we’ve been inspired by the leadership and enthusiasm shown by Albertans who are taking meaningful action to build a more sustainable future. The commitment demonstrated by the university community reflects the vital role that the next generation plays in advancing circular economy initiatives. Every battery collected is kept out of landfills and reintroduced into the manufacturing cycle, empowering students and staff to make a real, lasting impact on responsible end-of-life management.”
Members of the campus community are encouraged to bring used batteries from home or work to any designated drop-off location. To request a Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! box for a specific area, contact [email protected].
For more information on battery recycling at UCalgary, visit:
https://www.ucalgary.ca/risk/environment-health-safety/hazardous-materials/battery-recycling