Consumer FAQs

1) What is WEEE?

WEEE stands for “Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment,” as designated in Ontario Regulation 393/04. It is the informal name for the variety of electrical and electronic products that are no longer wanted by their owners. A variety of options exist for waste electronics, including reuse, refurbishment and recycling.

2) What products are defined as WEEE?

The term WEEE is applied to both consumer and business waste electrical and electronic equipment. Under the Ontario Minister of the Environment’s Program request Letter, WEEE has been designated in phases with “Phase 1” including desktop computers, portable computers, monitors, computer peripherals, televisions and various printing devices. The Phase 2 WEEE plan is to be submitted to the minister by July 9, 2009.

3) Why has WEEE been centered out for a special diversion program?

In Ontario, more than 91,000 tonnes of electrical and electronics equipment are available for reuse and recycling every year. About one-quarter of it is being managed properly. Under normal usage, unwanted electronics poses little or no hazards. However, many electronic products do contain materials such as lead, cadmium and mercury, that if not handled properly could have environmental impacts and cause health and safety concerns. Thus, the safe handling and proper management of WEEE at the end of its life is crucial. The Minister of the Environment designated WEEE for a special diversion program to ensure that unwanted electronics are reused or recycled, and to stem the flow of these materials to landfill or improper processing in developing nations.

4) How is WEEE currently handled in Ontario?

There are a variety of paths that WEEE may follow:

A number of electronics manufacturing companies have existing take-back programs that customers can access, most for a fee, to ensure that WEEE is recycled properly.
Many municipalities in Ontario are currently collecting WEEE from residents at municipal landfills, depots and special event collection days.
A number of non-profit organizations exist in Ontario that accept donations of working/ valuable WEEE from consumers for reuse and refurbishment in community educational and/or outreach capacities.
Some private processing operations in Ontario accept WEEE products, at a fee to the consumer, for reuse, refurbishment or recycling of parts.
Some brokers will take end-of-life WEEE and ship them to any number of developing nations for processing, often without adequate environmental, health or safety considerations.

5) Why does Ontario need a WEEE diversion plan?

An estimated 91,000 tonnes of WEEE is generated each year in Ontario. About one-quarter of it is recovered for recycling. However, most of it goes to landfill or is exported to unknown oversea locations. This program will encourage great diversion of these materials through reuse as well as safe, environmentally-sound recycling of the various components. Many electronic products contain valuable materials that can be recovered and put back into the manufacture of the next generation of electronics, helping conserve natural resources such as copper and steel. This process requires a significant commitment to safe and proper collection, transportation, management and, when necessary, diversion of these products.

6) When does the WEEE Program Plan take effect?

When can I start to take my electronics to a collection place? The WEEE program starts on April 1, 2009. In the meantime, OES is building the infrastructure and administrative requirements to operate the program.

7) What options will be available to consumers wanting to get rid of their unwanted electronics?

Under the WEEE program several collection opportunities will be made available in order to ensure a minimum level of accessibility to all Ontarians. These localized collection options may include, and are not limited to: return-to-retail programs, special municipal collection events and depots, sponsored electronics ‘Round-Up’ events, collection by non-profit organizations and processors, as well as existing recycling programs offered by electronics’ manufacturers. These collection points will be available at the start of the program in April 2009.

8) How do I find a collection site or event in my community?

After the program launches on April 1, 2009, watch your local newspaper for information about WEEE collection locations. The promotion program will include advertisements and a special website that will contain information that will direct consumers to nearby collection locations.

9) Will WEEE collection and reuse options be available everywhere in Ontario right away?

It will take a few years to expand the program fully across Ontario. OES will work with interested municipalities, retailers and other collectors to ensure that convenient opportunities are provided for people in all parts of Ontario to get rid of their unwanted WEEE at a collection event or facility beginning in April 2009.

10) What do consumers do with WEEE products that are not included in this program?

Municipalities, processors, and reuse and refurbishment organizations may collect a variety of waste electronic products that are not designated by the Ministry of the Environment as Phase 1 WEEE. Consumers are advised to contact their municipalities and local organizations to confirm accepted materials and disposal procedures. Some of these products may be included in future phases of the program.

11) Why won't deposits work for electronic waste?

Both the size of the environmental fees and the relatively long-life (up to 20 years for TVs) of the designated electronics mean deposit systems are not workable for this program. Imagine waiting up to 20 years to get a deposit back. As well, many electrical and electronic products change hands many times, which would create complexities in who would redeem the deposit. Further, how would varying interest rates accumulated on deposits held for years be divvied up and which body would be accountable for holding the funds?

12) Why start with a small list of products? Why not include all electronics?

Stewardship programs that ensure products and packaging are managed appropriately at the end of their useful lives are complex and require the development of an adequate and convenient collection infrastructure. Unlike other materials already being recycled, for example, blue box materials, the infrastructure for broad-based WEEE recovery still needs to be established. By introducing the program in stages, the collection infrastructure, once established, can be tested before additional materials are added to the program.

13) Will it cost me anything to take old electronics to a collection event or facility?

You will be able to drop-off unwanted WEEE at OES-approved collection locations. For each collection location, we suggest that you check which materials are accepted by www.dowhatyoucan.ca. In many, but not all cases, you will be able to drop-off materials free-of-charge. Please note, that while OES provides support to many municipal, private and not-for-profit organizations under the program, OES cannot guarantee that all collectors will provide collection services free-of-charge. We recommend that you call ahead to determine if a charge applies.

14) Who is paying for this program?

Companies that are brand owners, first importers into Ontario, and/or manufacturers of designated electrical and electronic equipment are obligated to cover 100% of the costs of the WEEE Program Plan in Ontario including collection, transporting and processing costs and provincial promotion and education campaign. These companies, called stewards, will remit fees based on the number of units of designated electrical and electronic equipment that they supply into Ontario.

15) Who will run this new WEEE program?

Companies that are brand owners, first importers into Ontario and manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment have formed an organization called Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES). OES is a non-profit body that will manage the collection of fees from the various companies obligated under this program and then use the fees to pay for the diversion program. This will include collection, transportation, consolidation, end-of-life management of WEEE that cannot be reused or recycled, public education and awareness, research and development, continuous improvements in technology and program execution.

16) Can retailers / manufacturers of EEE charge consumers a fee when they purchase these products?

The WEEE diversion program does not tell the companies that are obligated to pay fees on the designated products how to manage these costs. It is up to the individual companies and their retail customers to make their own decisions. Some companies will internalize the cost, while others may charge consumers an environmental handling fee at the point of purchase.

17) Is this a tax?

All fees collected from Ontario stewards of WEEE will go towards covering the program’s direct costs of collection, transportation, consolidation, end-of-life management and administration. In addition, funds will be used for public education and awareness, research and development, continuous improvements in technology and program execution. The program is managed by OES which is a not-for-profit organization of brand owners and retailers of electrical and electronic equipment. None of the fees collected from obligated companies will go to government; therefore, it is not a tax.

18) Is industry making a profit through this program?

No. The collective fees assigned to the various products amount to the cost of the WEEE diversion program and no more. Operation of the stewardship program will be undertaken by OES which is a not-for-profit organization of brand owners and retailers of EEE. The entire program will be transparent and audited annually and OES will be accountable to Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO), a non-crown agency of the Ministry of the Environment.

19) What about personal information that may be on computer equipment?

Ontario Electronic Stewardship has incorporated several policy measures designed to ensure reasonable protection of private information:

The owner of the information contained on the unwanted electronic product will determine whether it gets sent for reuse, refurbishment or recycling. The owner will be responsible for ensuring that data is destroyed.
OES-approved collection sites will need to meet OES’ security requirements.
Contracts with collection, transportation and consolidation service providers (excluding reuse and refurbishment organizations) will prohibit the removal of parts or items.
Reuse and recycling processing vendors will have to meet OES’ minimum requirements for adequate security measures.

20) Where could I obtain a recycled/refurbished computer?

The WEEE program does not distribute recycled computers but is intended to fuel growth in the electronics reuse and refurbishment sector, boost recycling and ensure end-of-life information technology and consumer electronics will be managed in an environmentally responsible manner. However, it will include the names and locations of organizations that offer recycled/refurbished computer on the public information website.

21) Can retailers/manufacturers of EEE charge consumers a fee when they purchase these products?

The WEEE diversion program does not tell the companies that are obligated to remit fees on the designated products how to manage these costs. It is up to the individual companies and their retail customers to make their own decisions. Some companies will internalize the cost, while others may charge consumers an environmental handling fee at the point of purchase.

22) What will happen to the unwanted electronics collected through this program?

WEEE collected under the program will be reused, refurbished for reuse, or recycled to recover valuable scrap materials (i.e. – metals and plastics). The exact destination for collected WEEE depends largely on where consumers choose to send their unwanted electronics. WEEE sent to a non-profit, reuse or refurbishment organization likely will result in a portion of electronic products being reused for a second life with a new consumer. WEEE that is too old, damaged, or that doesn’t have any reuse value will go to an end-of-life processor to ensure that any valuable material components are removed for recycling. A small portion of the remaining non-value scrap materials will be disposed properly.

23) How can you ensure environmentally responsible recycling of products?

OES has developed a program plan that requires adherence to rigorous environmental, health and safety standards that the industry has used in three other provincial programs. For example, the OES Electronics Recycling Standard outlines specific requirements and operating standards for any OES-approved end-of-life processor receiving WEEE for recycling. Similarly, the OES WEEE Reuse and Refurbishment Standard establishes expectations and requirements for any OES-approved organizations that receive WEEE for reuse or refurbishment under the program. This approach, which has been vetted with recyclers from across Canada, will use third party audits to ensure:

environmentally conscious and efficient recycling;
limitations on the export of Ontario’s electronic scrap to third world nations;
acceptable health and safety controls and management systems are used to protect workers in local recyclers; and
a reduced dependence on landfill-use for disposal of WEEE.

24) What will OES do to encourage the reuse of electronics that may still have another “life”?

Research has shown that the most viable source for reuse of electronics is from the industrial, commercial and institutional sector, which already has a number of effective business models that address the issue of getting reusable electronics products to the appropriate markets, including support for charitable organizations. It is estimated that an average of approximately 10% of combined residential, industrial, commercial and institutional unwanted electronics that are available for collection in Ontario have reuse potential. A strong public outreach and communication program will direct Ontario residents to organizations and locations to which they can donate their used, working electronics.

25) What does this program do for the environment?

The WEEE program will encourage the diversion of more materials from disposal through the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle).

The program will add to existing opportunities for Ontarians to take unwanted electronic products to places where they will be reused, refurbished for reuse, recycled for materials, or safely and properly disposed. Diverting these materials through the available 3Rs activities works towards sustainable development and reduces the environmental footprint of WEEE consumers.

It will result in the recycling of components that are used to make WEEE products, reducing the amount of these materials that is disposed of in landfill sites.

The WEEE program adds to the provincial government’s goal of continuous improvement in waste management systems, and will contribute to the Minister of the Environment’s overarching objective.

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