Nearly 13,000 metric tons of e-waste were diverted from provincial landfills in 2023, equivalent to 2.3 kilograms per person in B.C.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e talking about any used electronics that have reached the end of life,含羞草研究社� explained Craig Wisehart, executive director at the Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA) and Return-it.
He pointed out that there is a marked difference between what含羞草研究社檚 reusable and what should be recycled.
含羞草研究社淚f your laptop still works but you have a new one the best thing to do is give it to your kids or donate it to a charity. When it含羞草研究社檚 dead and gone that含羞草研究社檚 what we call e-waste, and that含羞草研究社檚 what our program is all about recycling that.含羞草研究社�
E-waste is less of a problem in B.C. compared to other parts of Canada and the U.S., where there is no dedicated recycling program, and end-of-life devices usually end up in landfills.
含羞草研究社淲hich can be problematic,含羞草研究社� Wisehart added. 含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 lead in there, LED screens are backlight with mercury bulbs, cadmium in batteries, things that you don含羞草研究社檛 want leaching into the environment.含羞草研究社�
The EPRA has more than 300 Return-it sites across B.C. that accept e-waste.
含羞草研究社淵ou take your material there and we consolidate that and ship it to recyclers who break it down and get the iron, steel, aluminum and copper,含羞草研究社� Wisehart explained. 含羞草研究社淲e also make sure we collect the mercury and lead and all the other substances of concern and have that dealt with by approved processors.含羞草研究社�
As technology has improved, and consumer devices have gotten smaller and less bulky, potentially dangerous substances are less of a concern, Wisehart added.
含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 still small amounts of some of that in new electronics. There含羞草研究社檚 also much less volume so even if it were going to the landfill, which it含羞草研究社檚 not, it would be a smaller amount of weight because the devices are so much smaller.含羞草研究社�
Wisehart said the EPRA含羞草研究社檚 core purpose is to recycle older electronics to keep them out of landfills.
含羞草研究社淚n 2012-2013, I would say 60 per cent of our volume, by weight, was TVs and displays with the old leaded glass. That含羞草研究社檚 maybe 30 per cent of our volume now.含羞草研究社�
More information about how to properly dispose of e-waste and find Return-it locations can be found on the .