Electronics recycling program launched in New Brunswick

An electronics recycling program aimed at keeping old and unused products out of landfills is now available in New Brunswick.

The Electronic Products Recycling Association, or EPRA, a not-for-profit, industry-led organization, launched the free drop-off program on Thursday.

Residents and businesses will now be able to take electronic waste, such as computers, printers, TVs, and cellphones, to one of 40 authorized drop-off centres across the province, at no charge.

Once collected and sorted, items will be sent to an EPRA-approved recycling plant to remove "substances of concern for proper downstream management."

Recyclable materials, such as metals, plastics and glass, will then be recovered so they can be processed into new products.

The program, approved by Recycle NB in February, will help protect the environment "by making industry responsible for its waste and removing harmful materials from our landfills," Environment and Local Government Minister Serge Rousselle said in a statement.

It will also contribute to the province's green economy, creating jobs, he said.

3,500 tonnes a year

New Brunswick is now one of 10 provinces to adopt the end-of-life electronics recycling program, according to the EPRA.

The programs keep a combined estimated 100,000 metric tonnes of electronic waste out of Canadian landfills each year, said Cliff Hacking, the president and CEO of the recycling group.

The New Brunswick program is expected to divert roughly 3,500 tonnes annually, officials have said.

"Plus, recovered materials go back into the manufacturing of new products so that fewer natural resources are extracted from the environment," said Hacking.

EPRA New Brunswick will work in partnership with electronics manufacturers, distributors and retailers, provincial and municipal governments and consumers to ensure end-of-life electronics are diverted from landfills and recycled in an efficient and responsible manner.