Québec Waste Reduction Week

85% of Quebecers Are Worried About the Environmental Impacts of Poor Management of Electronic Waste: EPRA-Québec Reminds Us of the Importance of Responsibly Recycling Old Electronics

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 23, 2023 /CNW/ - With Québec Waste Reduction Week (QWRW) set to run between October 20 and 29, the Electronic Products Recycling Association of Québec (EPRA‑Québec) invites all Quebecers to recycle their old electronics as a concrete action for the planet. According to a CROP survey conducted last June for EPRA‑Québec, 85% of respondents consider themselves worried about the environmental impacts resulting from poor management of electronic waste. The responsible recycling of end-of-life electronics helps to protect the planet by recovering precious resources and by reducing e-waste in landfills, where it produces greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and other harmful toxins. 

According to the same survey, 38% of Quebecers have old electronics at home that they want to get rid of. For 18–34-year-olds, it is one out of two people (54%) who wishes to dispose of their old devices. It's now time for action! It's thus important to remind the population how easy it is to recycle old electronics in a safe and eco-friendly way.   

In total, there are more than 150 types of products accepted at the close to 1,000 Recycle My Electronics^TM authorized drop-off points located across the province. These include, among others, TVs, laptop and desktop computers as well as their accessories, printers, tablets, cellular and non-cellular phones, DVD/Blu-ray players, portable music players, digital cameras, and video game consoles.

Continuing our efforts

"Even though we always seem to be short on time, we must take the time to do the right thing by bringing our old electronics to an authorized drop-off point. We can be proud of the road we have travelled so far. Because of our collective efforts, more than 175,000 tonnes of old electronics have been recovered and reclaimed in 10 years, but there is still more work to do! In Québec households there are still on average 2.4 obsolete devices that people want to get rid of," highlights Martin Carli, scientist and EPRA‑Québec's official spokesperson. "It's important that we continue to raise awareness among the population and talk about it: recycling our old electronics is easier than we think and is not a waste of time!"

EPRA-Québec takes charge of all electronics brought to any one of their close to 1,000 authorized drop-off points, including several municipal ecocentres, many retailers as well as other organizations and companies. The devices are then sent to certified and approved companies that are located in Québec and compliant with Canadian standards, who ensure that they are handled in an environmentally friendly way while minimizing risks to health and safety. Once the products are dismantled, component materials such as metals, plastics and glass are sorted and recovered for the purpose of being conditioned and reused to make all kinds of new products, therefore preserving non-renewable natural resources.

To see the complete list of accepted products, to find an authorized drop-off point in Québec, and to get more information on electronics recycling, visit www.recycleMYelectronics.ca/qc.

About EPRA-Québec

As a recognized industry-led not-for-profit organization, EPRA-Québec provides an approved environmental compliance program for manufacturers, distributors and retailers of electronics marketed in Québec. It is responsible for implementing and operating, on behalf of its stewards, a responsible program for the recovery and reclamation of electronic products. Its Recycle My Electronics^TM program includes close to 1,000 authorized drop-off points accessible free of charge across the province and has helped divert more than 175,000 metric tonnes of old electronics from landfills in 10 years.

SOURCE Electronic Products Recycling Association of Québec (EPRA-Québec)

Interviews and information: Marie-Rose Desautels, Morin Relations Publiques, 819-580-9235, [email protected]