Province of Saskatchewan adds new environmental handling fee to purchase of AAA and AA Batteries

Saskatchewan’s new recycling program for consumer batteries will provide an option for people in various parts of the province to dispose of their household batteries in an environmentally responsible manner.

Launching January 1, 2021, the program is operated by Call2Recycle Canada Inc., a non-profit environmental stewardship organization that has been voluntarily collecting batteries in Saskatchewan for recycling since 1997. Call2Recycle met all the regulatory requirements of a government-approved program under The Household Hazardous Waste Products Stewardship Regulations, 2019.

The program accepts used single-use and rechargeable consumer batteries (weighing less than five kilograms each), excluding lead acid batteries. In partnership with municipalities and retailers, Call2Recycle has established convenient drop-off locations across the province for Saskatchewan residents, including in all SARCAN depots.

As part of the new program, an environmental handling fee will be paid at the point of purchase effective January 1, 2021. The fee rates range, depending on the size of battery and the chemistry type. For example, fees for AAA and AA batteries are $0.02 and $0.04, respectively.

The fees will be paid to Call2Recycle for the collection, transportation and recycling of the batteries at their end-of-life. For the full fee structure and a map of drop-off locations, please visit https://www.call2recycle.ca/saskatchewan/