Electronics and electrical equipment of all kinds - from computers to food processors to cell phones to nail guns - are on a new list issued by the government of Ontario of items that could be kept out of landfills and diverted into a special program.

Ontario Environment Minister Leona Dombrowsky announced Tuesday that the provincial government is protecting the environment by taking steps to divert electronics and electrical equipment (e-waste) from disposal. The first step was publication of the list.

“Last year, Canadians sent 157,000 tons of e-waste – things like computers and CD players – to landfills,” said Dombrowsky.

“Our government knows that these products may contain toxic materials like lead and mercury that are harmful to our health and the environment," she said. "We need to take action now to stop this and to protect our environment for future generations.”

There are currently 14 e-waste recycling facilities in Ontario.

The minister intends to require a company called Waste Diversion Ontario to develop a waste diversion program for waste electronic and electrical equipment. The Minister must first designate materials that could be the subject of a waste diversion program as waste under the act. The program would be developed in cooperation with an organization representing the electronics and electrical equipment industry.

E-waste discarded in a heap. (Photo courtesy SPEC)

Of the 157,000 metric tons of e-wastes disposed of in Canada in 2002, only 9,000 metric tons were disposed of through recycling, including 775 metric tons in several large Ontario municipalities.

Estimates show that e-waste disposal will grow to 206,000 metric tons by 2010.

Waste Diversion Ontario was established in 2002 as a permanent, nongovernmental corporation operated by a board of directors and made up of industry, municipal and nongovernmental representatives. It has developed a program that funds 50 percent of blue box net costs.

“We will deliver on our commitment to keep more e-waste out of our landfills, as called for by the Environmental Commissioner,” Dombrowsky said. “Today we are a step closer to achieving that goal. That’s good news for the environment and our communities.”

The public is invited to comment on the draft regulation. It is available for 30 days on the Environmental Registry on the ministry’s website at http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envregistry/023878er.htm or by calling 1-800-565-4923.

The deadline for comments is November 25, 2004. After a review of comments received on the draft regulation, the Minister will issue a designation letter to Waste Diversion Ontario.

Meanwhile, the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), a non-profit public service organization dedicated to recycling rechargeable batteries, Tuesday announced the nationwide launch of Call2Recycle, its cell phone and rechargeable battery recycling program.

Starting this week, cell phone and battery collection boxes will be shipped to over 4,000 participating retailers, communities, public agencies and businesses, providing a convenient service to all Canadians who own a cell phone.

Cell phones collected through the Call2Recycle program will be refurbished, recycled or resold when possible by ReCellular, Inc.

A national promotional campaign, including public service announcements featuring famous hockey player Guy Lafleur, formerly of the Montreal Canadiens, is underway.

Lafleur helped to kick-off the recycling campaign today when he accepted the first cell phone from Dombrowsky.

Guy Lafleur and Ontario Minister of the Environment, Leona Dombrowsky help to launch Call2Recycle, a cell phone recycling program by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation. (Photo courtesy RBRC)

According to a survey conducted by Maritz Research on behalf of RBRC, 68 percent of Canadian households are in possession of at least one cell phone, and 39 percent of households surveyed own two or more cell phones.

About half of people surveyed are unaware that cell phones are recyclable, though 79 percent said they would do so if provided with convenient drop-off points.

"Our survey showed that Canadians are ready and willing to help the environment by recycling their old cell phones," said Ralph Millard, executive vice president, RBRC.

"Expanding our recycling program to include the collection of cell phones is a natural fit for us. Our primary goal is to collect and recycle more rechargeable batteries, but an added benefit is the ability to provide a solution other than landfill for the growing number of cell phones no longer in use by Canadians."

The Call2Recycle program sets up convenient retail locations across Canada and the United States for householders to drop off old cell phones

Cell phones and rechargeable batteries can be collected in the same box.

The toll free number where people can find out where the nearest drop-off site is located is 877-2-RECYCLE.

Websites dedicated to providing program information and drop-off locations are found at: http://www.call2recycle.org and http://www.cellarecycler.org

Householders, retailers, communities or public agencies may participate in the recycling program free of charge.

There are over 30,000 retail and community battery collection locations throughout Canada and the United States that participate in RBRC's cell phone and battery recycling program. RBRC is funded by more than 300 manufacturers and marketers of portable rechargeable batteries and products.

"There is a strong movement in the marketplace to behave more responsibly in the disposal of the products consumers acquire and use," said David Betts, president of Electronics Product Stewardship Canada, an association of consumer electronics and information technology companies such as Canon, Dell, IBM, Sanyo, Sharp, and Toshiba.

"We've already had a generation of experience recycling products such as newspapers and bottles," said Betts. "The electronics and IT industries recognize the need to ensure an equally responsible approach to end-of-life management of the products and tools that we produce."