Mower electronics please

On May 28 so many Saultites drove up, dropped off and did good that Recycle Your Electronics has set up three local drop off points that will be available year round.

One industrious person even drove up to the Recycle Your Electronics event in a John Deere riding mower with a trailer to bring in a pile of busted old electronics.

Saultites diverted 14,780 kilograms of end-of-life electronic devices from the landfill on May 28.

They also enabled processors to reclaim the copper, plastics, rare earth metals and other precious resources from those devices by participating in OES's recycling tour this summer, said Pierre Prim, Director of Operations at OES.

RecycleYourElectronics.ca, run by Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES), now accepts 44 types of electronics across a province-wide collection network of hundreds of OES-approved collection sites.

In Sault Ste. Marie electronics can be dropped off at Community Living Algoma, Future Shop and Staples.

Prim, today, said OES works with processors in Ontario to either refurbish or recycle electronics collected in the province.

He said recycled electronics are down cycled, or taken apart so their basic commodities can be used to make other things.

To find out what OES accepts for free at its partner drop off sites, please visit the Recycle Your Electronics website.

The full text of a media release from OEM follows.

****************************** Northern Ontarians Learn about Responsible Ewaste Diversion through RecycleYourElectronics.ca Mobile Tour

Participants encouraged to “drive up, drop off, do good" while getting rid of unwanted electronics

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 diversion 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 hundreds of OES-approved collection sites. “It’s important for all 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.

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