MISSISSAUGA, ONT.—With e-waste among the most rapidly growing waste streams globally, it is imperative that it be recycled properly. Throughout nine provinces in Canada—British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador—the organization to turn to for e-waste recycling guidance is the nonprofit Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA).
“We are the only government approved entity collecting electronics in those provinces,” says Michele Marley, Program Director. “We provide responsible recycling for end-of-life electronic products ensuring compliance for program stewards. EPRA has been providing these services since 2011. Currently there are over 3,100 sites across the provinces where businesses and residents can drop off their end-of-life electronics.” (Find a drop-off location near you.)
So far, EPRA has collected over 1.3 million tons of End-of-Life Electronics (EOLE).
Hoteliers throughout Canada turn to EPRA for assistance with the recycling of the following items: displays and TVs, phones, radios and clocks, laptops, tablets, and computers, printers and copiers, keyboards, mice and cables, chargers and docking stations, irons and hair dryers, and microwaves and coffee makers. Monitors are the largest recycling item.
“Recycling these products is a great way to reduce hotel costs, free up valuable storage space and improve hotel waste reduction and environmental efforts,” Marley says.
A Preferred Vendor with Green Key
Proper E-waste recycling is an essential part of waste management practices recognized within the Green Key Global Eco-Rating Program. EPRA is a preferred vendor with Green Key.
The EPRA program is regulated and free for users (those using drop off sites).
“We also work with businesses to provide customized onsite collection for their end-of-life electronics,” Marley says.
Lodging establishments are provided with a certification of destruction showing that electronics were handled properly. EPRA provides metrics showing how much was recycled/diverted from landfill, helping with any Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting.
EPRA only works with recyclers who have been verified under the national Electronics Recycling Standard (ERS), which was designed by the electronics industry to ensure that end-of-life-electronics are managed with appropriate environmental, health, and safety controls. This means that all EPRA verified recyclers must be actively processing material that is entrusted to them by EPRA.
“Our Recycler Qualification Office (RQO) verifies the recyclers against the ERS requirements,” Marley says.
EPRA represents many of the large brands (stewards) including Apple, Sony, Dell and Samsung, ensuring compliance with provincial legislation regarding electronics recycling.
Where Recyclables End Up
New technology is used to break down old technology and harvest the raw materials that went into them including glass, plastics, and precious metals like gold and copper. Substances of concern like mercury and lead are also handled responsibly to protect both the environment, and the health and safety of the workers handling them. The recovered materials are then put back into the manufacturing supply chain and used to make new products.
Properly recycling EOLE prevents it from being illegally exported or handled by irresponsible recyclers.
All manufacturers, retailers, distributors and other suppliers of regulated electronic products in, or into, any one of the provinces in Canada with provincial extended producer responsibility regulations are required to be active in an approved product stewardship plan.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
