Ontario community launches outdoor battery recycling container

Environmental 360 Solutions Ltd. (E360S), an Ontario-based environmental management company, has launched its smart outdoor battery recycling containers in Kingston, Ontario. 

The containers have been designed to withstand harsh weather conditions and mitigate risk, featuring sensors to monitor temperature and material volumes, the company says. 

“The launch of these new outdoor battery collection bins will provide Ontarians with expanded access to a best-in-class solution for used battery recycling,” E360S Vice President of Sustainability Andrew Horsman says.

“These bins are the product of two years of development and innovation, incorporating all the combined knowledge of E360S’ 20-plus years of experience in collecting used batteries safely and in a way that allows the valuable materials in them to be recovered. The sensors allow real-time monitoring of the fill level of the container and internal temperature by E360S’ battery recycling team, and it will promptly alert us if the temperature inside the container rises. In the event of thermal activity, the containers are equipped with a quick-deployment suppression system, providing optimum safety and reliability for outdoor collection placements.” 

According to E360S, the containers were inspired by the reduced access for consumers to properly recycle batteries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past two years, the company says it has worked to create a container that minimizes risks for collection sites and offers accessibility for consumers. The containers allow Kingstonians to recycle their batteries 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

The development and testing of the recycling containers have been made possible through a collaboration between Environmental 360 Solutions Ltd. and Sam Santucci, an engineering graduate from Niagara College. 

To assess consumer response, outdoor battery recycling containers will be placed strategically throughout Ontario over the summer, the company says. 

“Our newly acquired team has more than 40 years of experience and helped facilitate the first curbside battery collection in North America, as well as other innovative programs that once helped Ontario achieve the highest capture rate in North America,” E360S Founder and CEO Donato Ardellini says. “These cutting edge collection containers signify a new era of accessibility and will fundamentally reshape the battery recycling landscape here in Ontario and across North America.”