Northern Ontarians Learn about Responsible Ewaste Disposal through RecycleYourElectronics.ca Mobile Tour
THUNDER BAY, Ontario (August 23, 2011) – From May through August, thousands of residents in cities across northern Ontario participated in the RecycleYourElectronics.ca tour to learn about end-of-life electronics and, through select collection events, helped divert hazardous materials from landfill. The primary focus of the summer-long program was to raise awareness about responsible ewaste disposal by providing educational information and fun activities to participants attending one of 29 stops along the tour. In addition, a total of 180,716 kilograms (about 180 tonnes) of unwanted electronics such as cell phones, computers, monitors and televisions were collected through a series of collection events.
The RecycleYourElectronics.ca program is run by Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES), a non-profit industry organization tasked with diverting electronic waste from landfill and educating and encouraging responsible reuse and safe recycling of unwanted electronics. RecycleYourElectronics.ca now accepts 44 types of electronics across a province-wide collection network of 600 OES-approved sites.
“It’s important for Ontarians to know that e-waste is not garbage; it contains hazardous materials that don’t belong in landfills. It also includes valuable materials that can be safely recycled to manufacture new products,” said Pierre Prim, Director of Operations, Ontario Electronic Stewardship. “We were excited to engage northern Ontarians in their communities as our research indicated a need for increased awareness about end-of-life electronics. The response was very positive and residents were enthusiastic about putting the information to use at work and at home.”
The tour was supported by advertising and community outreach to encourage residents to attend one or two-day events along with their end-of-life electronics in communities including:
- Atikokan
- Blind River
- Capreol
- Chapleau and Devon
- Cochrane
- Dryden
- Elliot Lake
- Espanola
- Fort Frances
- Geraldton
- Kapuskasing
- Kenora
- Manitouwadge
- Marathon
- New Liskeard
- Nipigon
- Pic Mobert
- Rainy River
- Red rock
- Sault St. Marie
- Sioux-Lookout
- Smooth Rock Falls
- Spanish/Massey
- Sturgeon Falls
- Sudbury
- Thunder Bay
- Timmins
- Wawa
“We are focused on our mission of diverting ewaste from Ontario’s landfill,” said Prim. “Our Northern tour has helped us spread this message across the region, while providing information and a convenient, easy way for individuals to safely and securely recycle their ewaste. For those who missed a tour stop, I recommend visiting www.recycleyourelectronics.ca to source a collection site near you.”
Prim will be in Thunder Bay on Tuesday, August 23 at the Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corp. (OFNTSC) Conference where he will discuss the importance of recycling end-of-life electronics while acknowledging the success of tour stops in First Nations communities. The conference is the largest meeting of Canada’s First Nations technical professionals, bringing together industry experts from across Canada.
-30-
About Ontario Electronic Stewardship
Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES), a not-for-profit industry organization, oversees the responsible reuse and recycling of waste electronics through a program that includes hundreds of collection sites and numerous other affiliate sites across the province, including municipal, retail, not-for-profit and commercial sites. To date, OES has collected more than 67,000 tonnes of end-of-life electronics – if stacked in tractor-trailer loads parked end-to-end, would stretch all the way from Toronto to Gravenhurst. Every Ontario resident and business is encouraged to safely recycle their electronics free of charge.
The program was developed with Waste Diversion Ontario on behalf of the Ontario government under the Waste Diversion Act. The OES electronic waste recycling program accepts 44 items of electronic waste including computers, televisions, DVD players, hand-held devices and more.
Learn more:
www.recycleyourelectronics.ca
www.ontarioelectronicstewardship.ca
CONTACT: Michelle Lewis
TEL.:416.645.8181
EMAIL: michelle.lewis@fleishman.ca
CONTACT: Sandra Pakosh
TEL.: 416.380.4545
EMAIL: spakosh@ontarioelectronicstewarship.ca
Follow us on Twitter:
@ecycleOntario
