The Corporation of The City of London
April 19, 2012
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Let it go! Recycle your electronics

As part of this year’s 12 Days of Cleaning supporting London Clean & Green efforts, the City of London and its partners are encouraging Londoners to “Let it go” – with a launch of a new promotional campaign for 2012 focused on reuse and recycling electronics.

Londoners are being asked to dig deep into basements, garages and other storage spaces to get rid of unwanted e-waste: outdated and unwanted electronics that are now clutter.

“E-waste does not belong in the landfill especially when there are easy reuse and recycling opportunities right here in London,” highlights Jay Stanford, Director, Environmental Programs & Solid Waste for the City of London. “To make it easy to ‘Let it go’, London businesses and organizations have partnered to promote more reuse & recycling of e-waste. This is the first widespread electronics recycling push that has been undertaken in London.”

Collectively London businesses and organizations offer 27 free drop-off locations where residents and businesses can drop off their old electronics.

In 2011 the amount of electronics recycled in London almost doubled compared to 2010 (1,200 tonnes compared to 650 tonnes). There has been a large increase in recycling activity as people become aware of the program and clear away old electronics that they have been hanging on to.

“We are very excited to work with our partners in London. Together, they have developed a unique marketing approach focused on engagement of their community with the goal of promoting safe, responsible electronics recycling. We are proud to be part of this effort, and we wish the residents and businesses of London every success towards a positive outcome: keeping e-waste out of landfill!” notes Sandra Pakosh, Director, Marketing & Communications at Ontario Electronic Stewardship.

It is anticipated that the collective effort in London should result in a 20% increase in the amount of electronics recovered or about 250 tonnes.

Out-of-use electronics shouldn’t end up in landfills. Most of the parts – steel, glass, copper, aluminum, plastics and precious metals – can be recovered and made into new products. In addition, electronic equipment like computers, printers and televisions can be reused, further cutting down on waste.

Our message is simple. . Let it go. . . . ‘let go’ of your unwanted electronics. . and follow these three simple steps:

1.  Have a look at the list of 28 locations that accept electronics – the hours of operation and the specific electronics accepted at each site.

2. Protect your privacy. Before bringing in your electronics, be sure to backup any important information and clear information storage areas such as hard drives and SIM cards.

3. Exercise care. Many types of electronics are both large and heavy, so be sure to exercise caution when transporting them. If you are unable to transport your products safely, call a friend or family member for assistance. Proper work gloves are also a good idea for the person doing the heavy lifting.

Electronic products are not garbage, and do not belong in our landfills. It is everyone’s job to ensure they end up in the right hands, and be managed by certified experts. By dropping your electronics off at an approved collection point, you are ensuring your products will be recycled in a safe and responsible way.


Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES), a not-for-profit industry organization, oversees the responsible reuse and recycling of end-of-life electronics through a program that includes hundreds of OES-approved collection sites and numerous other affiliate sites across the province. OES offers a convenient and secure way for Ontario residents and businesses to recycle 44 types of electronics free of charge.

This program was developed with Waste Diversion Ontario, on behalf of the Ontario government, under the Waste Diversion Act 2002. The OES program meets rigorous standards that helps protect human health, our water ways and ecosystems while creating a cleaner environmental future for Ontarians.

Across Ontario, more than 100,000 tonnes of electronic waste have been diverted from landfill since the OES program began operations in April, 2009.