What is the Process for Recycling Electronics?

In the Ontario, it is very easy to recycle electronics, but unfortunately many area residents have no idea how to go about it.  In Ontario alone, residents throw out more than 91,000 tons of old electronic items, but only about 25 percent of this waste is actually handled correctly.  This indicates a surprising lack of knowledge about how to get rid of old electronic items.

Many people simply toss old electronics out with the regular garbage, not realizing that these old electronics contain many things that can be recycled and / or are extremely harmful to the environment if they end up in a landfill.  Of course these materials pose little, if any, threat in the course of normal usage, which is why most people don’t even realize that there is a threat if these items do end up in a landfill.  In fact, larger items are not usually accepted by trash pickup companies because old electronic items can post health or environmental hazards if they are not handled properly.  So how do you get rid of your e-waste?  Here’s how it works:

1. In Canada, the official term for e-waste is Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, or WEEE.
2. The Minister of the Environment has created a special program to ensure that these items are disposed of properly without threat to the environment or health and safety.  This program diverts old electronic items to special facilities instead of allowing them to enter area landfills or be sent to developing countries where there is no chance that these items will be processed, recycled and / or disposed of properly.
3. All old electronic items are sent to a facility that has been certified as an on Ontario Electronic Stewardship facility.  These facilities use best practices to safely recycle these old electronic items so that they are processed and handled properly once they are past their point of usefulness.
4. All processors that have the Ontario Electronic Stewardship certification are audited regularly to make sure that they continue to comply with government standards for recycling and / or disposing of electronic waste appropriately and safely.
5. When recycling electronics, the processor removes metals and other materials that can be reused, like zinc, magnesium, white metals, tin scrap, lead or stainless steel scrap, gold, silver, aluminum, copper, and other precious metals.

To get rid of your unwanted electronic items, drop them off at an approved facility.  In the Ontario, there are also regular drop-off days that are run by the local government during which you can drop off old electronics items.  However, these drop-off days are scheduled at various times of the year, and if you miss the next date, you will have to wait until the next one to throw out your old, unwanted electronic equipment. This often leads to people just tossing it in the landfill because they are frustrated about having to wait a long time to get rid of these items.  But by dropping them off at an approved facility, you don’t have to wait until your area is having a special drop-off day for electronic items.

By recycling your old electronics and making sure they are handled properly at the end of their life, you are not only being a responsible citizen but also helping ensure the safety of your children and grandchildren.

Seconds Wholesale will take all of your used clothing donations. They’ll help you raise money for a trip or program or simply give you a way to get rid of your old clothes in an economical, environmentally friendly way. Visit www.secondswholesale.com