Dec 22 - British Columbia to Expand Existing E-waste Recycling Program
First launched in 2007, British Columbia's current e-waste recycling program, comprised of computers and TVs, will be expanded over the next few years in two stages. The first stage of the expansion, covering mainly household devices and appliances, will take effect in July of 2010, with another swath of primarily larger appliances and machines to be added in July of 2012.
Dozens more products - from telephones and toasters to stereos and sewing machines - are going to be added to B.C.'s electronic waste recycling system over the next three years.
The computers and peripherals covered under the existing e-waste rules are banned from local dumps and buyers of new equipment pay an added recycling fee to cover the costs of the system. Similar fees will be tacked on to purchases of the new products.
The electronic waste will be accepted at the existing 93 e-waste depots around the province.
According to Joyce Thayer, representing the Electronic Stewardship Association of B.C., B.C.'s existing e-waste system has collected more than 12,000 tonnes of TVs, computers and related peripherals so far:
"We're taking more than 1,000 tonnes a month. It's amazing - in just over a year we are the second most successful program in North America."
CAW and E-waste Recycling: