Quebec residents urged to recycle their electronics

MONTRÉAL – Almost two thirds (62 percent) of Quebecers have end-of-life electronics in their homes. Since significant quantities of raw materials such as palladium, gold, silver, and copper that could be used to make new products are left unused in many Québec households, Electronic Products Recycling Association of Québec (EPRA-Québec) is inviting the population to take action for Québec Waste Reduction Week which runs from October 19 to 27.

Individuals who want to recycle their old electronics can bring them, free of charge, to any one of the close to 1,000 authorized drop-off points across the province.

Celebrity scientist Martin Carli is collaborating with EPRA-Québec to raise awareness among citizens about the importance of safely recycling their old electronics. “At this time when many of us want to do better and more for our planet, we can ask ourselves: why hold on to our old electronics? Because we haven’t yet had the time to do something about them? We haven’t yet decided what to do with them? We are accumulating them until we are ready to clean out the house? Whatever the reason, now is the time to recycle them,” Carli says.

“It is impossible to imagine our lives without electronic devices, and that’s why it’s essential that we dispose of them responsibly and ecologically. These products should never end up in the garbage, the recycling bin or at the curbside! By bringing your old electronics to an authorized drop-off point, you can enjoy peace of mind, knowing that they will not be sent to landfills or illegally exported, but rather will be recycled in an environmentally respectful way.”

Though a great number of Quebecers still have at home electronics they no longer use, many still take part in EPRA-Québec’s Recycle My Electronics program. In 2018, each Quebecer recycled an average of 2.6 kg, that’s over 21,000 tonnes of products recycled or directed for reuse.

These devices include, among others, televisions, laptops, desktop computers, computer accessories, printers, tablets, cellular and non-cellular phones, DVD/Blu-Ray players, portable music players, digital cameras and video-game consoles. In total, there are more than 150 types of products accepted by the Recycle My Electronics program.

EPRA-Québec takes charge of all electronics brought to its authorized drop-off points, including several municipal ecocentres, many retailers as well as other organizations and companies. The devices are then sent to certified and approved companies that are compliant with Canadian standards, who ensure that they are handled in an environmentally friendly way while minimizing risks to health and safety. Once the products are dismantled, component materials such as metals, plastics and glass are sorted, recovered, conditioned and reused to make new products, therefore preserving non-renewable natural resources.

To find an authorized drop-off point in Québec, to see the complete list of accepted products, or to get more information on electronics recycling: www.recycleMYelectronics.ca/qc.