EPRA Celebrates Five Years in Prince Edward Island

Islanders Congratulated for Diverting More than 3,000 Metric Tonnes of Unwanted Electronics

CHARLOTTETOWN, July 21, 2015 /CNW/ - The Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA) marked five years of Islanders responsibly recycling their end-of-life electronic products at a celebration in Charlottetown today.

The Honourable Robert Mitchell, Minister of Communities, Land and Environment, along with Cliff Hacking, President and CEO of EPRA, Gerard MacLellan, Executive Director of EPRA Atlantic Canada, Gerry Moore, CEO of Island Waste Management, and special guests celebrated the anniversary at an event at the GreenIsle Waste Watch Drop-off Centre today.

"Islanders can and should be proud of what's been achieved here over the last five years," said Minister Mitchell. "This level of commitment to responsibly recycling electronics is a true reflection of their belief in being responsible stewards of our beautiful province." The Minister also congratulated EPRA PEI as well as the more than 300 participating retailers, manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of regulated electronics in the province for making this program a success in Prince Edward Island.

Since the program launch in July of 2010, the e-stewardship program has collected and recycled more than 3,000 metric tonnes of unwanted electronics in the province. "That's approximately 465,000 TVs, computers, printers and a myriad of other electronic devices diverted from landfill and illegal export," said Cliff Hacking, President and CEO of EPRA. "Not only are these products being recycled responsibly, but they also yield a host of valuable materials such as steel, copper, silver, palladium and glass that is put back into the manufacturing supply chain," said Hacking.

Gerard MacLellan, Executive Director of EPRA Atlantic Canada, says PEI residents have high marks when it comes to both their recycling rate and their awareness of the program. "PEI has a 4.5 kilogram per capita electronics recycling rate, something they should be very proud of," says MacLellan.

"And an impressive 80% of Islanders are aware of our program and that's fantastic," said MacLellan. MacLellan also said that part of the success is due to the access to depots. "Ninety-nine per cent of the population is within 30 kilometres of an EPRA drop-off depot, and that makes a difference," he said. A complete list of the 6 Drop-off Centres and a list of acceptable electronic products is available at www.recycleMYelectronics.ca/pei

EPRA is a not-for-profit, industry-led organization that works in partnership with manufacturers, retailers, municipal governments and consumers to ensure end-of-life electronics are diverted from landfills and recycled in an efficient and environmentally responsible manner. "It's a strong partnership model that's seen success here in Prince Edward Island and across the country," said Hacking.

There is no charge to residents for dropping off electronic products at the Drop-off Centres. The program is funded by an Environmental Handling Fee (EHF) that is charged on the sale of new designated electronic products. The EHF is not a tax of any kind, and it is not a deposit – these fees are paid at the time of purchase and are used to support the collection, transportation and responsible recycling of end-of-life electronics. 

For more information about EPRA, please visit www.epra.ca.

Background
As a recognized industry-led not-for-profit organization, EPRA provides an approved environmental compliance program for manufacturers, distributors and retailers of electronics. It is responsible for implementing and operating, on behalf of its stewards, a responsible program for the recovery and reclamation of electronic products in accordance with standards established by EPRA.

What Electronic Products are accepted?

EPRA PEI accepts and recycles a range of regulated electronic products including: display devices (such as televisions and monitors), desktop printers, computers and peripherals (such as keyboards), home theatre in a box (HTB) systems, non-cellular telephones as well as audio and video systems.

SOURCE Electronic Product Recycling Association (EPRA)

Media Contact: Gerard MacLellan, Executive Director, EPRA Atlantic Canada, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]