This summer British Columbia residents will stop disposing their end-of-life electronics into the regular garbage stream and go green with a province-wide electronic recycling program.
As a result of a Recycling Regulation amendment created by the provincial government last year, Electronics Stewardship Association of British Columbia (ESABC), a not-for-profit corporation, has introduced the Return-It Electronics Program. The program, which starts Aug. 1, will be operated by Encorp Pacific, a federally incorporated not-for-profit corporation based in Burnaby, B.C.
It will be funded by an additional charge tacked onto the price of new electronic products, better known as an environmental handling fee. The fees will range from $5 to $45 depending on the type of product and its size.
Encorp Pacific spokesperson Malcolm Harvey believes this new program will be able to financially sustain itself.
“Handling fees that come from electronic products will solely fund the program,” Harvey said. “It’s a cost recovery program where the money will stay in the system and will go towards things like consumer awareness, collection sites and so on.”
Paul Martin, CEO of Vancouver-based systems integrator DTM Systems Corp., thinks the program is a realistic initiative.
“A lot of us are already used to paying a little extra when it comes to certain environmental products like tires and car batteries,” he said. “Because prices of electronic products have dropped over the years, adding a couple more dollars couldn’t hurt.”
End-of-life electronics products that can be recycled through the Return-It program include desktop computers and monitors as well as computer accessories such as keyboards, cables, desktop printers and fax machines, and even televisions.
According to Harvey, when it comes to machinery, upgrades and investments, not much more is required since Encorp Pacific will utilize its already existing facilities once the new recycling program begins. The corporation is also responsible for the recycling of beverage containers across B.C.
“Our existing bottle network depot will serve as the backbone for this program,” Harvey said. “It’s an adaptation of what exists already so there are no real huge investments to be made.”
Several designated collection locations across the province will be available for consumers and businesses to drop off their products at no cost. For those who do not have access to these drop-off locations, mobile pick-ups and community round-up events will also take place around the province on a regular basis.
More information on this program can be found at electronicsrecyclingbc.ca.
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