ElectroRecycle, the Small Appliance & Power Tool Recycling Program, Expands in B.C.
New product categories such as power tools and exercise machines provide British Columbians a new recycling option for a wide variety of household electrical products
VANCOUVER, June 20, 2012 /CNW/ - Starting July 1, 2012, British Columbians will be able to recycle even more of their old or broken electrical products as ElectroRecycle expands its small appliance recycling program to include new products such as power tools, sewing machines and exercise equipment.
Introduced by the Canadian Electrical Stewardship Association (CESA), ElectroRecycle (formerly known as Unplugged) was first launched across B.C. on October 1, 2011. ElectroRecycle is the first small appliance and power tool recycling program of its kind in Canada and the only government-approved small appliance and power tool recycling program in B.C.
Besides small appliances, the program will now accept household electrical products under new product categories such as: power tools (for example, hand-held drills), sewing/textile machines, exercise machines (such as treadmills), and leisure, arts & crafts devices (for example, electric binoculars).
"With these new product categories, ElectroRecycle will help divert even more electrical products from disposal to resource recovery," said Brock Macdonald, chief executive officer, Recycling Council of British Columbia (RCBC). "The expanded program will also help municipalities spend less on managing waste."
Following its July 1 expansion, ElectroRecycle will accept more than 300 different types of electrical products ranging in size from electrical toothbrushes, hand-held drills and toasters to sewing machines, countertop microwaves and treadmills. British Columbians can recycle their electrical products at over 100 accessible and convenient drop-off locations across the province, which may differ based on size of product being recycled. Drop-off locations are located at private recycling drop-off centres, local government sites, and service organizations like the Salvation Army.
"We applaud B.C.'s manufacturers and retailers for expanding this important recycling program to include even more products," says Terry Lake, Minister of Environment of British Columbia. "B.C. is already a leader in recycling programs and ElectroRecycle's expanded program helps further strengthen this position and promote our tradition of conservation."
Recycling plastic, glass, metal and aluminum through ElectroRecycle offers a number of environmental benefits, such as saving energy. For example, it takes 95 per cent less energy to recycle aluminum, 74 per cent less energy to recycle steel, and 30 per cent less energy to recycle glass.
"We are very pleased to expand ElectroRecycle and provide British Columbians with a comprehensive and convenient recycling program," said Darrell Clarke, president of CESA. "Now with an expanded list of accepted product categories and a province-wide network of convenient drop-off locations, most British Columbians can responsibly and effectively recycle more of their household electrical products as part of their regular routine."
B.C. has a long history of recycling programs. Over the past year alone, British Columbians have diverted nearly 20,000 metric tonnes of electronics, 40,000 tonnes of tires and over 1 billion non-alcohol beverage containers from landfills.
After an electrical product is brought to an ElectroRecyle drop-off location, it is transported to processors within Canada and separated into different materials that are then recycled. The separated products are sold as commodities and used to manufacture new products.
CESA has partnered with B.C.-based Product Care Association (PCA) to set up and operate ElectroRecycle throughout the province.
As a non-profit program, ElectroRecycle is funded by a recycling fee applied on the sale of new electrical products brought into B.C. by manufacturers and retailers. The recycling fee covers all program costs, including collection, transportation and recycling, and may be included in a product's price or displayed as a separate charge to consumers at the time of sale. Fees on newly added electrical products will be introduced as of July 1, 2012. The program operates on a long term cost-recovery basis and all fees collected stay within the program.
Accepted electrical products are divided into 13 categories with a corresponding fee attached to each.
Accepted products and fees include:
| Kitchen Countertop | |
|
$2.25 |
|
$2.25 |
|
$2.00 |
| Microwaves | |
|
$10.00 |
|
$7.50 |
| Floor Cleaning | |
|
$5.25 |
|
$1.00 |
| Power Tools | |
|
$0.75 |
|
$1.25 |
|
$2.75 |
| Measurement | |
|
$0.75 |
|
$2.75 |
| Garment Care (e.g. Iron) | $1.00 |
| Air Treatment (e.g. Air purifier) | $2.25 |
| Desk & Tabletop Fans | $1.25 |
| Personal Care (e.g. Hair dryer) | $1.00 |
| Sewing & Textile (e.g. Sewing machine) | $2.75 |
| Exercise Machines (e.g. Treadmill) | $4.25 |
| Leisure, Arts & Crafts Devices (e.g. Electric binoculars) | $0.75 |
| Very Small Items (e.g. Electric air fresheners) | $0.25 |
A full list of accepted products, including new product categories and fees can be found at electrorecycle.ca. British Columbians can also receive program updates and submit their questions through the online Ask ElectroRecycle button, or find a drop-off location in their community through the easy-to-use locator map.
About CESA
The Canadian Electrical Stewardship Association (CESA) is a non-profit industry association formed to create and manage ElectroRecycle for small appliances and power tools in British Columbia. CESA's membership includes a wide array of small appliance and power tool manufacturers and retailers who import and sell the accepted products in British Columbia.
CESA has partnered with B.C.-based Product Care Association to set up and operate ElectroRecycle throughout the province.
For More Information
Members of the media can go to the ElectroRecycle media room at electrorecycle.ca for background information or to download b-roll footage and photos of depot locations. For a full list of retailers and other CESA members participating in the program, please go to cesarecycling.ca.
Spokespeople available:
- Jordan Best, senior program coordinator, Product Care Association (PCA), on behalf of CESA
- Shafiq Jamal, vice president, Western Canada, Retail Council of Canada (RCC)
To request an interview with a spokesperson or more information, please contact:
Mahafrine Petigara, Edelman
(604) 623-3007 ext. 297
[email protected]
Marissa Bushe, Edelman
(604) 623-3007 ext. 285 / 778-558-0157
[email protected]
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