EV Battery Recycling & Transport: UN Numbers, Safe Handling, and Shop Compliance Basics

TL;DR

• EV battery recycling is a regulated shipping and safety workflow.
• If your shop removes, stores, or ships an EV battery pack/module, the safest baseline is:
• Treat lithium batteries as dangerous goods and follow Canada’s TDG rules (classification, packaging, labels, documentation, training). 
• Use the right UN entry (and the right special provision) because “recycling,” “damaged,” and “installed in equipment” can change what’s allowed, especially by air. 
• Make EV battery storage a controlled process: reduce short-circuit risk, isolate any “hot/smelly/smoking” pack, and escalate early if you suspect a thermal event.  

What Does EV Battery Recycling and Transport Compliance Mean for a Shop?

Here’s the simplest way to think about EV battery recycling logistics:

The moment a battery pack is removed from a vehicle (or identified as end-of-life), you’re no longer dealing with “a car part.” You’re dealing with stored energy that can overheat, catch fire, and produce toxic/irritating fumes, all risks Transport Canada highlights when explaining why lithium battery shipments require strict controls. 

That’s why Transport Canada is direct: lithium batteries are dangerous goods, and shippers must declare them and meet TDG shipping requirements (classification, packaging, labels, documentation, training). 

This matters for future techs and parts professionals because, in real shops, the compliance work often sits at the intersection of:

• The technician (who identifies the pack/module condition, removes it safely, and flags damage), 
• The parts/warehouse/logistics side (who prepares the shipment, labels/placards it correctly, and manages documentation and pickup).

If you’re building your foundation through automotive training, learning these basics now will help you walk into EV-era workplaces with fewer “unknowns.” 

What do UN 3480 and UN 3481 Mean When Transporting Lithium-Ion Batteries?

Let’s decode the UN numbers in plain language, because these two codes show up everywhere in battery shipping.

UN 3480 is used for lithium-ion batteries (batteries shipped by themselves). 

UN 3481 is used for lithium-ion batteries contained in equipment or packed with equipment. Transport Canada explains the difference like this:  

• “contained in equipment” means the battery is fitted or joined to the device,  
• “packed with equipment” means it’s not fitted to the device but is packaged alongside it (like a spare battery shipped with a tool).

Why this matters for EV battery recycling: EV battery packs/modules are treated as batteries in TDG terms. Transport Canada explicitly notes that “battery packs, modules or battery assemblies manufactured to provide a source of power to another piece of equipment are treated as batteries in the TDG regulations.” 

So, when an EV pack/module is being shipped on its own to a recycler, you’re typically thinking in the direction of “battery shipped alone” logic (UN 3480)—but you still must classify the shipment correctly for the exact scenario and condition of those batteries. 

The “Recycling” And “Damaged/Defective” Twist Most Beginners Miss

Two special cases can change the rules dramatically:

Batteries transported for disposal or recycling fall under Special Provision 138 in Canada’s TDG framework, which (among other requirements) includes a major restriction: these shipments must not be transported by air.  

Batteries that are damaged or defective fall under Special Provision 137, which requires specific packaging (P908 or LP904 of the UN Recommendations), requires specific “Damaged/Defective …” markings, and also forbids transport by aircraft. 

This is why labelling something “for recycling” isn’t just a sustainability choice. It can change what is legally allowed and how the shipment must be packaged and marked. 

What are Canada’s Key Rules for Shipping Batteries for Recycling And Tracking Compliance?

Think of Canada compliance in two layers: transport safety rules (TDG) and, sometimes, environmental movement controls (especially across borders).

The TDG “Must-Do” Requirements Most Relevant to Shops

Training is required for people who handle, offer for transport, or transport dangerous goods.  

Transport Canada’s TDG Training bulletin states that Section 6.1 requires people doing those tasks to be adequately trained and hold a training certificate, unless an exemption applies. It also clarifies how supervision works (it must be direct physical supervision) and provides certificate expiry rules: 36 months for road/rail/vessel and 24 months for air. 

Classification isn’t optional.  

Canada’s TDG Regulations list the lithium battery UN shipping names (including UN 3480 and UN 3481) and require, among other things, that cells/batteries pass the UN 38.3 tests and be designed to prevent external short circuits. 

Shipping lithium batteries for recycling has a special set of rules (and an air ban).  

Transport Canada’s battery transport guidance summarizes Special Provision 138 requirements for lithium batteries shipped for disposal or recycling, including required packing instructions (P909 or LP904), required “Lithium Batteries for Recycling/Disposal” markings, and the prohibition on air transport. 

Damaged/defective items are handled differently from end-of-life. 

Transport Canada’s same guidance summarizes Special Provision 137 for damaged or defective lithium batteries, including the required packaging instructions (P908 or LP904), required “Damaged/Defective …” wording on the outer means of containment/overpack, and air prohibitions.

You must mark the “means of containment,” not the battery itself.

Transport Canada explains that batteries are dangerous goods, not the “means of containment”, so labels/marks go on the drum/box/pallet-wrap when that container is the “means of containment.” It even walks through scenarios (batteries directly on a pallet vs inside small containers on a pallet, overpack rules, placarding). 

Small vs large means of containment affects your approach.

Transport Canada classifies “small means of containment” as under 450 L (and provides packing instruction references for various battery UN numbers). 

For large containment scenarios (common with full-size BEV packs), Transport Canada notes that if batteries are transported on pallets over 450 L capacity (or not in means of containment but on fixed shelves), an equivalency certificate may be required, and requirements will be set in that certificate. 

If you only bookmark one page for day-to-day reference, use Transport Canada battery transport guidance (the scenarios and special provisions summaries are written for real shippers, not just lawyers). 

When Environmental “Movement Rules” Can Apply (Especially Cross-border)

If EV batteries are moving across Canada’s borders as hazardous waste or hazardous recyclable material, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) regulates transboundary movements through the Cross-border Movement of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations. 

• ECCC’s overview page highlights practical implications that shops and logistics teams should understand early:
• The regulations came into force on October 31, 2021. 
• To export/import hazardous waste or hazardous recyclable material, you must submit a permit application before shipping and meet permit conditions through the full movement lifecycle. 
• Even when no permit is required for interprovincial-only movement, a movement document is always needed under that framework. 
• ECCC also highlights document retention expectations (for certain roles, keep permits/movement documents and compliance records for 5 years after certain trigger dates). 

The practical takeaway: shipping compliance can be a two-system check—TDG for transport safety and ECCC requirements for certain waste/recyclable movements. 

How Should Shops Handle EV Battery Storage and Remove Battery Packs Before the Carrier Arrives?

This is where EV battery recycling becomes a shop-floor safety topic.

Transport Canada notes that while most lithium batteries are safe, some can overheat and ignite, potentially causing nearby batteries to overheat as well. This can result in fires that are difficult to extinguish and that produce toxic/irritating fumes. 

So the goal of EV battery storage is to reduce the triggers you can control (short-circuits, damage, heat exposure, accidental activation) and to spot batteries that should be treated as “damaged/defective” immediately. 

A shop-ready EV battery storage routine

In training environments, we see beginners rush to “move it out of the way” without first controlling the risk. A safer baseline looks like this:

Treat identification as a safety step.

Call2Recycle’s Canada EV Battery Shipping Guidelines (industry guidance) emphasizes that the shipper must identify whether a battery is end-of-life or damaged-defective, and lists practical “damaged” and “thermal event” warning signs (e.g., cracks, swelling, melted plastic, smoke, sweet or unusual odour, crackling sound, flames, hot to touch).

Even if your shop ultimately uses a specialized service provider, that early identification step helps prevent the most dangerous mistake: packaging a damaged pack as a normal end-of-life shipment. 

Prevent short circuits and unintended activation.

Transport Canada guidance stresses using approved packaging, protecting terminals, preventing devices from activating, and preventing short-circuits during shipping. Those same principles apply to short-term storage. 

Quarantine “suspect” batteries.

FSRI’s public safety guidance notes that lithium-ion batteries can overheat, catch fire, and cause explosions, so isolation and caution around warning signs is not overkill. Practically, quarantine means: keep the suspect pack/module away from people, combustibles, and other batteries; notify leadership; and follow your shop’s incident response procedures.

Where parts & warehousing skills matter most

Several compliance tasks in EV battery recycling look “logistics-first,” including:

• Identifying the correct container type (small vs large means of containment),  
• Applying marks/labels to the correct surface (the means of containment or overpack), 
• Preparing the shipping document and ensuring the shipment matches documentation, and coordinating carrier pickup timing around storage constraints.

That’s why auto parts and warehousing training can be a smart pathway into EV-era roles, even if you’re not the person removing the pack. 

Key takeaways

• EV battery recycling is also a shipping compliance workflow: lithium batteries are regulated dangerous goods, and the TDG system governs training, classification, packaging, safety marks, and documentation. 
• UN 3480 and UN 3481 tell carriers whether batteries are shipped alone or with/inside equipment, and that affects the shipping name and requirements.  
• Batteries shipped for disposal or recycling in Canada fall under Special Provision 138 and are forbidden by air and must be packed and marked according to the special provision. 
• Damaged/defective batteries are handled under Special Provision 137 with different packaging and marking requirements, and also cannot be transported by aircraft. 
• EV battery storage is a safety control: prevent short-circuits, isolate suspect packs early, and don’t let “out of sight” become “out of control.” 

Do you want to build job-ready skills for today’s shops, where EV battery recycling, parts logistics, and compliance are becoming normal?

Explore the CATI school to learn how CATI helps students develop hands-on, real-world automotive and transportation career skills. 

FAQ

Q: What do UN3480 and UN3481 mean for transporting lithium-ion batteries?

A: UN3480 refers to lithium-ion batteries shipped by themselves, while UN3481 refers to lithium-ion batteries that are packed with equipment or contained in equipment. Transport Canada also distinguishes “contained in equipment” (fitted/joined to the device) from “packed with equipment” (shipped alongside the device but not fitted). 

Q: What are Canada’s key rules for shipping/transporting batteries for recycling?

A: In Canada, shipping lithium batteries must follow the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Act and Regulations, which include training, classification, documentation, labelling/safety marks, and packaging requirements. For lithium batteries transported for disposal or recycling, Special Provision 138 requires specific packing instructions and “Lithium Batteries for Recycling/Disposal” markings and also prohibits transport by air.  

Q: How should shops store removed packs/modules safely in the short term?

A: Shops should treat removed packs/modules as potentially hazardous stored energy: reduce short-circuit risk by protecting terminals and preventing contact with conductive materials, store batteries in controlled areas away from combustibles, and isolate any pack showing signs of damage or thermal event risk (heat, swelling, smoke, or unusual odours). Transport Canada notes lithium batteries can overheat and cause difficult-to-extinguish fires with toxic/irritating fumes, and industry shipping guidance highlights warning signs that require escalation.