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UPS battery recycling in Toronto, for businesses

Old UPS batteries from a business go to a battery recycler, not to a household depot. A data-centre lead-acid block weighs far more than the five kilograms Ontario's battery regulation covers [1], so the consumer collection network is not built for it. The usual route is the simplest: the crew that replaces the string takes the old blocks away at the swap and delivers them to a battery recovery facility. Small cartridges and lithium-ion modules have their own routes, set out below.

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Key facts

  • Ontario's battery regulation: covers batteries of five kilograms or less[1]
  • Its collection sites: take batteries used by a consumer[2]
  • Intact batteries to a recovery facility: outside the waste regulation's "subject waste"[3]
  • Damaged lithium-ion: can cause a fire or explode (Toronto Fire Services)[4]

Where each battery goes

Battery Route Note
Data-centre VRLA blocks A lead-acid battery recycler, usually taken away by the replacement crew Heavier than the regulation’s five-kilogram limit [1]
Small UPS cartridges Call2Recycle collection, which takes batteries up to 5 kg [5] Box collection serves small businesses [6]
APC replacement cartridges Schneider’s prepaid return, with a genuine APC RBC purchase [7] The label is for RBC buyers only [8]
Eaton single-phase packs Call2Recycle drop-off sites [9] Small packs only
Eaton three-phase strings Eaton’s US page names Heritage Environmental Services [10] Confirm the Canadian route with Eaton
Lithium-ion modules The manufacturer’s take-back programme Damaged modules are a fire risk [4]

Intact or damaged

Ontario’s general waste regulation draws the line at intact. An intact waste battery is one that is intact but damaged, spent, worn out or discarded [11]. Intact waste batteries destined for a waste battery recovery facility are left out of the regulation’s definition of subject waste [3]. A system that only collects, moves or stores them on the way to that facility is exempt from sections 27, 40 and 41 of the Act [12]. A recovery facility recovers battery components and disposes of none [13].

Treat a cracked or leaking battery as no longer intact. The exclusion and the exemption above name intact waste batteries, so keep it upright in a leak-proof container, away from the others, tell the recycler before pickup, and let the carrier and the receiving site decide how it travels.

At the swap

When a string is replaced, the old blocks leave with the crew. Before they go:

  1. Count and label the blocks removed, by cabinet and string.
  2. Check each case for cracks, leaks or swelling, and separate any that are not intact.
  3. Protect the terminals, so no block can short against another on the pallet.
  4. Record the receiver: the recycler’s name, the date and the block count or weight.
  5. File the record with the replacement record and the new string’s baseline readings.

The battery replacement service ends with that disposal record.

Lithium-ion modules

Toronto Fire Services warns that overcharged, modified or damaged lithium-ion batteries can cause a fire or explode [4]. A lithium-ion UPS module coming out of service goes back through the manufacturer’s programme for that battery system. Tape or cap the terminals, keep a damaged module apart from the rest, and never store it with lead-acid blocks awaiting pickup.

Standards cited

  • Ontario General - Waste Management regulation
  • Ontario Batteries regulation under the RRCEA

Common questions

How do I recycle UPS batteries in Toronto?

Through a battery recycler. Large lead-acid blocks are usually taken away by the crew that replaces the string. Small cartridges can go through Call2Recycle, which collects batteries up to 5 kg [5], or Schneider's prepaid return when you buy a genuine APC replacement cartridge [7].

Are old UPS batteries hazardous waste in Ontario?

Ontario's general waste regulation leaves intact waste batteries destined for a waste battery recovery facility out of its definition of subject waste [3]. A cracked or leaking battery may no longer count as intact, so treat it separately and tell the recycler before pickup.

Can a business use the City of Toronto's household hazardous waste depots?

The household hazardous waste programme is for households. Ontario's battery regulation also builds its collection sites around batteries used by a consumer [2]. A business sends UPS batteries through a recycler or the manufacturer's programme.

Does APC take back old UPS batteries?

Schneider Canada gives free return shipping of the old battery when you buy a genuine APC replacement battery cartridge [7]. The prepaid label is only for those buyers [8].

Sources

  1. Government of Ontario, O. Reg. 30/20: Batteries, s. 1 definition of battery
  2. Government of Ontario, O. Reg. 30/20: Batteries, s. 1, definitions
  3. Government of Ontario, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 347: General - Waste Management, s. 1 (3)
  4. City of Toronto, Lithium-ion Batteries (Toronto Fire Services safety tips), page body
  5. Call2Recycle Canada, Household Batteries: Collection Partner Overview, overview
  6. Call2Recycle Canada, Household Batteries: Collection Partner Overview, Collection options
  7. Schneider Electric Canada, Recycling Options (APC RBC recycling program), Option 1
  8. Schneider Electric Canada, Recycling Options (APC RBC recycling program), RBC Recycling Program disclaimer
  9. Eaton, UPS battery recycling, Single-phase batteries
  10. Eaton, UPS battery recycling, Three-phase batteries
  11. Government of Ontario, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 347: General - Waste Management, s. 1 (1), definitions
  12. Government of Ontario, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 347: General - Waste Management, exemptions, subsection (4) (b)
  13. Government of Ontario, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 347: General - Waste Management, s. 1 (1), definitions

Updated