Batteries

The Batteries Regulation under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 designates batteries as the second material after tires under Ontario’s individual producer responsibility regulatory framework.

Individual producer responsibility makes producers accountable for their products and packaging once consumers are finished with them; sets mandatory and enforceable requirements for resource recovery; and gives producers choices for resource recovery services in a competitive market.

As of July 1, 2020, following the wind up of Stewardship Ontario’s battery recycling program on June 30, 2020, battery producers are individually accountable and financially responsible for collecting and reusing, refurbishing or recycling their batteries when consumers discard them.

The Batteries Regulation applies to the following types of batteries sold separately in Ontario (i.e. not embedded in products):

Single-use (primary) batteries weighing 5 kg or less
Rechargeable batteries weighing 5 kg or less

The following are examples of single-use and rechargeable batteries that fall under the Batteries Regulation:

Button cells
AA
AAA
C
D
9V
Lantern batteries
Sealed lead acid batteries
Replacement batteries for products (for example, drill, cell phone, laptop) that weigh under 5 kg or less

The regulation does not apply to batteries sold with or in products (for example, batteries sold with or in drills, cell phones, laptops, toys, vapes, fire alarms); or batteries over 5 kg (for example, car batteries, forklift batteries, stationary batteries).

How does the Batteries Regulation affect you?

Click the headings below to learn more about your requirements.

A person is considered a battery producer under the Batteries Regulation if they supply batteries into Ontario and:

are the brand holder of the battery and have residency in Canada
have residency in Ontario and import batteries from outside of Ontario
have residency in Ontario and markets directly to consumers in Ontario (e.g. online sales)
does not have residency in Ontario and markets directly to consumers in Ontario (e.g. online sales)

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A battery hauler is a person that arranges the transport of batteries used in Ontario that are destined for processing, reuse, refurbishing or disposal.
A battery refurbisher is a person that prepares or refurbishes used batteries for reuse for the purposes of resource recovery.
A battery processor is a person that processes batteries used in Ontario for the purposes of resource recovery.

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If you are a First Nation or municipality that collects batteries at a depot or through collection events or if you are a retailer or organization that provides collection boxes at your location, you do not have registration or reporting requirements under the Batteries Regulation as a collector. You may have responsibilities if you are a collector who is also a producer or a hauler.

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A PRO is a business established to contract with producers to provide collection, management and administrative services to help producers meet their regulatory obligations under the Batteries Regulation, including:

Arranging the establishment or operation of battery collection and management systems (hauling, recycling, reuse or refurbishment services).
Establishing or operating a collection or management system
Preparing and submitting reports

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Wind-up of Stewardship Ontario’s program for Single-Use Batteries

On June 30, 2020, Stewardship Ontario ended its program for managing single-use batteries as part of the Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (“Orange Drop”) Program. Visit Stewardship Ontario’s website for information related to the wind up of the single-use battery program: StewardshipOntario.ca/About-us/MHSW-WindUp.

Questions related to the wind up of the single-use battery program can be sent to mhswwindup@stewardshipontario.ca.