Call2Recycle and EVSX to open alkaline and carbon zinc battery processing facility in Ontario

Call2Recycle Canada and EVSX have partnered to launch EVSX's new battery processing plant in Thorold, Ontario. This facility will recycle the increasing volumes of alkaline and carbon zinc batteries collected through Call2Recycle's battery recycling program in Ontario and other provinces.

Located at the Bioveld Complex in Niagara, this new facility boasts a processing capacity of 4,200 tons of alkaline batteries per year, achieving an 87.7 percent ratio of battery components effectively recycled (RER or recycling efficiency rate). The addition of this facility supports the increasing volumes of alkaline batteries recycled by Canadians and collected by Call2Recycle (+21 percent collection growth nationally since 2023, with Ontario contributing approximately 40 percent of these volumes). Both organizations will also work with St-Georges Metallurgy (SXM) to transform black mass and develop agricultural fertilizer products.

"This Thorold plant investment is the stepping stone for EVSX's battery recycling strategy, and we deeply appreciate Call2Recycle's support in achieving it," said Enrico Di Cesare, CEO of EVSX. "We are committed to continue expanding our operations to reach a 100 percent recovery of all battery components recycled in our facility."

Since its inception in 1997, Call2Recycle has safely collected and responsibly recycled almost 50 million kilograms of batteries across Canada, preventing them from ending up in landfills. The development of this new plant follows a 2022 agreement between Call2Recycle and EVSX to build a full battery recycling ecosystem in Ontario, culminating in a three-year supply agreement.

EVSX's facility further strengthens the program's operations in Ontario, as over 60 percent of the batteries collected by the program in the province can now be processed locally. This local approach also provides economic benefits, including regional job growth and bolstering Ontario's circular economy. It will also support national efforts to provide Canadians with convenient and accessible recycling solutions.