OES Mobile Electronics Recycling Centre On A Roll

On September 11, OES’s Mobile Electronics Recycling Centre rolled into North Bay for its first of 14 stops across Ontario. The mobile e-waste exhibit and collection program is receiving rave reviews in each of the seven cities completed to date – North Bay, Kitchener-Waterloo, Windsor, St. Catharines, Cornwall, Peterborough, Ottawa and Pickering.

More than 4675 cars have dropped off approximately 208 tonnes of unwanted electronics for safe recycling with OES. In addition to OES’s own newspaper and radio advertising campaigns in each city, the tour has generated great media coverage: 33 print, broadcast and online stories.

Visit the OES website for the calendar of upcoming events and selected photos [this link is no longer valid]. Better still, check out OES’s Mobile Electronics Recycling Centre in your area.

Recycle Your Electronics – New presence on the web

Building on consumer research and OES’s commitment to drive e-waste collection, our call to action has now been formally branded with the consumer web address: recycleyourelectronics.ca. Coinciding with the Mobile Electronics Recycling tour, the new web address was launched and OES materials are being re-branded.

The site provides the same functionality and practical search tool to locate any one of OES’s 600 approved collection sites across Ontario. The fresh look of the site embodies the spirit of recycling, and reflects our fall/winter integrated campaign. Anyone who previously bookmarked dwyc.ca will be redirected to recycleyourelectronics.ca.

OES Management Team Brings Bench Strength

Carol Hochu, OES Executive Director, welcomed a new team of seasoned professionals from the telco and technology industries to help her lead the charge for safe and responsible reuse and recycling of electronics in Ontario. On September 16, a new management team joined the OES ranks:

• Director, Finance – Howard Morrison, CMA, an accomplished accounting and finance professional with more than two decades of experience in the technology and media sectors.

• Director, Marketing and Communications – Sandra Pakosh, a marketing and communications leader with social media strategy certification and extensive strategic and tactical expertise spanning multi-industry, with specialty in information technology.

• Director, Business Operations – Tahir Ahmad, is well versed in supply chain & logistics, with a proven track record in mobile telecommunications, consulting and technology sectors.

The new OES Management Team looks forward to engaging with stewards, service providers and other OES stakeholders.

Hon. John Wilkinson, Minister of the Environment, Announces Changes in Waste Diversion

On October 12th, Environment Minister John Wilkinson announced that the government is permanently ending Ontario’s Phase 2/3 household hazardous waste program that took effect on July 1. The announcement spells the end of fees being charged to pay for that particular program. Programs that existed prior to July 1, 2010—which currently divert, recycle and dispose of electronics, tires and household hazardous wastes such as paint and single-use batteries—will continue.

“In his announcement, the Minister specifically referenced the waste electronics recycling program as one that is working very effectively and that there is no need to change it”, explained Carol Hochu, Executive Director of Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES). “As evidence of the program’s success, the Minister pointed to the thousands of tonnes of electronic waste which have already been diverted from landfill”, she added. OES is completely supportive of any measures aimed at ensuring that our waste electronics recycling program operates as smoothly and effectively as possible, and that it works in the best interests of Ontarians and the environment.

Minister Wilkinson was appointed by Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty, on August 18. After successfully serving as Minister of Finance and overseeing the introduction of the HST this summer, Wilkinson turned his talents in service of the environment. Wilkinson has been serving Ontarians since 2003 when he was first elected to the Ontario legislature. He started out as MPP for Perth-Middlesex and was re-elected in 2007 as the MPP for Perth-Wellington.

Former Environment Minister, John Gerretsen has taken on the role of Minister of Consumer Services.

Learn more: Ontario Environment Minister or Waste Diversion Announcement.