Electronics recycling program proposed in New Brunswick

A recycling program for electronics may soon be coming to New Brunswick.

The provincial government has released proposed regulation changes under the Clean Environment Act that would create such a program.

Included in the plan are electronics such as televisions, computers, digital cameras and fax machines.

The program would be overseen by Recycle New Brunswick and managed by the industry.

Environment Minister Brian Kenny says the program will be similar to the beverage container program and would involve a recycling fee for electronic materials.

With this program, the environment minister said consumers will be able to take their electronic waste to a depot and have it disposed of properly."

"By putting this program in place, we're going to be able to divert about 3,500 tons of electronic waste from our province's landfills every year," said Kenny.

"So we think its a good program and we're working with the industry to be able to work with the stakeholders and partners and collaborate with the government and Recycle New Brunswick for a program to implement."

Lois Corbett, the executive director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, says it's about time the government established an electronics recycling program.

"People in Nova Scotia right next door have been recycling their TVs and their cellphones and their tablets and their computers since 2008 — Prince Edward Island since 2010," she said.

"It's 2015, we've got some draft regulations out there for public comment and that's a great step forward. Let's catch up with the rest of the country."

New Brunswick is the only province without an electronics recycling program.

Under the established electronics recycling programs in other provinces, the industry runs the program and charges a fee to customers at the time of purchase to cover the cost of recycling the item when it reaches the end of its life.

The fees typically vary per item.

Information available online from The Source indicates that it charges a recycling fee of $2.25 for a desktop computer shipped to Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island. The recycling fee for a 46-inch or larger television is $35.

The draft regulations for an electronics recycling program in New Brunswick are posted online and will be open for comment until July 31.

The province hopes to have the program in operation by the fall 2016.