Evidence of meeting #66 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was recycling.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
To all the witnesses, my apologies for wasting your time with that, but I think it's an important subject, and it's related to this study.
Ms. Kelleher, you mentioned in your remarks that Canada has an excellent ecosystem for lithium battery recycling. Can you explain where those centres of excellence in Canada are or where lithium battery recycling plants are currently located?
Principal, Kelleher Environmental
To answer your question, the battery recycling plants are in B.C., Ontario and Quebec. In B.C., Cirba Solutions, which used to be Retriev, has been recycling lithium batteries for 40 years, and they are continuing to evolve their technology to the newer hydrometallurgical processes that provide high-value chemicals to go back into the battery supply chain. In Ontario we have a company called Li-Cycle, and in Quebec, a company called Lithion.
The traditional way to recycle lithium batteries was really to create a black mass that had metals in it and send it to Glencore, which would smelt it and then pull the metals out, the nickel and cobalt in particular. Then they would need to be sent somewhere else to make the chemicals that the battery people want.
However, the new recycling technologies are leading edge, and Canada is a world leader in this area. They actually take the batteries, get all the critical minerals and metals out, and make the chemicals that they can sell back into the battery supply chain.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
You mentioned that the battery ecosystem as well is largely among Canada, the United States and Mexico. Are there other opportunities, or do these companies that are currently recycling batteries have the capacity to import batteries for processing in addition to any supply from Mexico and the United States?
Principal, Kelleher Environmental
You'd have to check with them, but I would say the quick answer is they could certainly scale up to take more batteries. Interestingly, the electric vehicle batteries are lasting so long that the supply will be quite small for a number of years to come. Most of these companies are expecting to process a lot of production scrap, but again, as I say, you would need to ask them. I imagine what they would say is that if you provide them with a bigger supply, they would certainly scale up to process that supply.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
Thank you.
In the last meeting we had, I was able to ask some officials from, I believe, Environment Canada about exportation licences related to plastic waste, and negative and positive lists of the toxic, in some cases, plastics that would be exported through the United States without really knowing their final destination.
Do you think we have a robust enough system in Canada to understand where all plastic waste originating in Canada actually ends up?
Principal, Kelleher Environmental
I did listen to the previous committee's deliberations. I can't really answer that question. You would need to ask someone in Environment and Climate Change Canada who tracks all the exports. That's part of the federal government commitment regarding anything that's exported out of the country. Under the Basel Convention, I think, which was spoken about last time, signatories to that convention have a prior informed consent, so a country can't accept any shipment. You can't send it anywhere unless they have said they'll accept it.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair. How much time do I have remaining?
Liberal
Viviane LaPointe Liberal Sudbury, ON
Thank you, Chair.
My questions are for the Glencore officials who are here. I'm the MP for Sudbury, so I know the other Peter from Sudbury.
The critical minerals strategy is important. It's important to us for achieving net zero in electric vehicle batteries, clean energy, information and communication technology, and defence applications. As the world moves towards a lower-carbon economy, a key question on which we must collectively focus is how to build on Canada's comparative advantages. One key action item towards that end is to determine how to best utilize the abundance of resources and technology and experience that exists in this country.
Can you describe for the committee what initiatives Canada has put in place specifically to reuse critical minerals that are in waste?
Vice-President, Corporate Affairs Nickel, Glencore Canada
Maybe I'll start by saying that at the end of the day, I think we share the goal of increasing recycling capabilities, but in order to get there we need clarity and predictability on things like import rules. For us, it's about having the flexibility so we can act quickly to acquire available feed and ensure that materials that can be recycled don't end up in perhaps less favourable jurisdictions with less clean recycling facilities.
Alexis, do you want to add anything?
Head, Government Relations and Communications, Glencore Canada
We have the space to double the recycling inputs in Horne and Sudbury. It's not a question of physical capacity. It's more a question of access to the market at the moment.
Liberal
Viviane LaPointe Liberal Sudbury, ON
Are there steps we can take to increase the recovery of critical minerals from e-waste? I'm specifically thinking about those higher-value minerals like nickel, copper and gold.
Head, Government Relations and Communications, Glencore Canada
Is the question to increase the e-waste capacity of recycling?
Liberal
Head, Government Relations and Communications, Glencore Canada
At the moment, to be honest, when we take some e-waste, we recover almost everything.
Maybe Marie-Elise can complete that.
Environment Manager, Copper North America and Philippines, Glencore Canada
Yes, we do have a high capacity of recovery. We are doing some research and development with one of the universities near Rouyn-Noranda to increase the recovery of other critical metals.
Liberal
Viviane LaPointe Liberal Sudbury, ON
That's what my question was geared toward. Do we have the technology, or will that technology be developed soon, so we can actually enhance our ability to recover those minerals?
Environment Manager, Copper North America and Philippines, Glencore Canada
It's research. The timeline is unfortunately not defined. It is something that Glencore does invest in, and we are preparing for the next generation of increased recovery.
Liberal
Viviane LaPointe Liberal Sudbury, ON
I find it very interesting. I know that in discussions I've had with Vale and Glencore, there's great interest now in being able to recover minerals through waste products such as tailings and so forth. As you say, there's active research and development under way to look at that.
There was something that I thought was interesting. Canada has the ability to recycle about 14% of its electronic waste. It is comparable, I think, to the U.S. When we look at European countries, that percentage is far lower. Is there something we can learn from those other countries?
Head, Government Relations and Communications, Glencore Canada
Indeed, we know that plenty of recyclables are leaving the continent to be treated elsewhere. It's probably easier for certain products to be sent from the U.S. to India than to be sent from the U.S. to Canada, which is a bit strange, but that's a fact. We have plenty of things to learn to make sure that we're able to yield all the e-waste in North America and funnel it to our top-of-the-line smelter.
Liberal
Viviane LaPointe Liberal Sudbury, ON
I'd like to ask the same question to Ms. Seaman. Are there practices or lessons that Canada can learn from other countries?
