The University of Calgary is expanding its battery recycling program through a new partnership with Call2Recycle, Canada's leading not-for-profit battery collection and recycling organization.
This collaboration builds on UCalgary's ongoing commitment to sustainability while supporting efforts to create a more circular, environmentally responsible future.
Battery recycling has been a key component of UCalgary's hazardous materials management program for years, coordinated by the Environment, Health and Safety team. The university already diverts more than 2,000 kilograms of used batteries each year, helping prevent hazardous waste from entering landfills.
"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."
A new smart battery recycling container is now in the Taylor Family Digital Library, making it easier and safer to recycle used batteries on campus. Photo Courtesy Randy Renkas
O'Grady adds that UCalgary's team of hazardous materials technicians has become the central point of the university's battery recycling operation, enabling increased recycling from research, teaching and operational areas across all campuses. With the expansion of the battery recycling program, recycling used batteries has become more convenient, accessible and transparent for students, faculty and staff.
UCalgary has installed a Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! smart battery collection container in the Taylor Family Digital Library, a busy space on campus. Equipped with internal sensors to track fill levels and temperature, the container ensures safe, efficient, and timely collection. Additional collection boxes across campus offer even more convenient drop-off points, making it easier than ever for the community to participate.
Rechargeable and single-use batteries (up to five kilograms each) from electronics, tools and small devices, can be recycled through the collection boxes located across campus. 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.
Additional collection boxes for battery recycling are located throughout campus. Photo Courtesy Randy Rankas
"We are proud to support the University of Calgary as it expands its battery recycling program," says Joseph Chung, Vice-President 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 of Albertans taking action for a more sustainable future. Every battery collected is kept out of landfills and reintroduced into the manufacturing cycle, empowering students, faculty 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 point. To request a collection box for a specific area, contact hazmat@ucalgary.ca.
For more information on battery recycling, please visit here.
