HVP SERVICES 519-360-0821

Current: as of December 2013

Fact Sheet

• With oversight by Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO), Ontario Electronic

Stewardship (OES) is the not-for-profit industry organization

responsible for developing and implementing the province-wide

electronic waste recycling program according to the Waste Diversion

Act, 2002.

 

• Since 2009, Ontarians diverted more than 240,000 tonnes of electronics from landfill. Stored in tractor-trailers, those trailers would extend north of Toronto to almost Timmins. Piled one on top of the other, they would match the height of 978 CN Towers.

 

• In 2013, OES collected 72,725 tonnes, exceeding its collection target for the third year in a row.

 

• A vast majority of Ontarians—81 per cent—are very concerned about

the improper disposal of out-of-use electronics. (Pollara, August 2012)

 

Did you know?

One tonne of electronic waste is the equivalent of: 37 TVs, 135 desktop computers, 3,333 computer keyboards, or 8,000 cell phones.

• The public knows our program as RecycleYourElectronics.ca,

operated by OES. It’s also a searchable website to locate free drop-

off sites.

 

• 64 per cent of Ontarians are aware of RecycleYourElectronics.ca and

OES. Of those aware, almost half drop off item(s) for reuse or

recycling. (Ipsos Reid, October, 2013)

 

• Funding comes from fees paid by stewards (manufacturers and

importers of electronics) in Ontario.

 

• Funds cover the cost of diverting fluctuating volumes of e-waste;

specifically collection, transportation, consolidation and recycling of

those materials, as well as financial incentives for those services and

promotion/education and administration.

 

• There are 44 different electronic products accepted including TVs,

printers, computers, monitors, cameras, radios, and more. The full visit is posted on www.recycleyourelectronics.ca

 

• A network of hundreds of OES-approved collection points—municipal, non-profit and retail—as well as affiliated sites operates across the province.

 

• More than 99.5 per cent of Ontarians live within 25 km of a collection site or event.

 

• E-waste is not garbage—it contains valuable materials like base and precious metals, but also plastics and glass that can be safely recycled as resource materials to manufacture new products.

 

• Recycling electronics through OES is regulated to rigorous environmental standards; keeping substances of concern—lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury, brominated flame retardants—out of landfill; protecting our waterways, roadways and natural environments. Unregulated electronics recycling puts workers at risk, and harms human health and the environment in non-OECD countries where it often gets shipped.

 

• OES-contracted processors must successfully complete an assessment and be verified under the Recycler Qualification Program (RQP) of the Recycler Qualification Office (RQO). RQO operates under Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA), a national, non-profit entity, created by Canada’s electronics industry.

 

• On November 1, 2013 OES entered into an outsourcing agreement with the national Electronics Product Recycling Association (EPRA). Under the agreement EPRA will is responsible for OES management and operational services. OES is responsible for the Ontario WEEE program.

 

 

What sets OES apart:

• RQP-verified service providers.

 

• A network of affiliates, or generators, working directly with recyclers.

 

• Environmental standards for electronics reuse and recycling in place through the Recycler Qualification Program (RQP) protects the environment and safeguards worker health and safety.

 

• Regulation ensures harmful components are diverted from landfill in Ontario and abroad.

 

• Committed to efficient processes and best practices for the ultimate benefit of consumers and business.

 

• Governed by a volunteer board of directors representing a wide range of obligated electrical and electronic equipment from across the supply chain.

 

What Happens to Waste

Processing recycled electronics recovers raw materials such as metal, glass and plastics. Hundreds of OES-approved collection sites form a province-wide network where Ontarians can drop off electronic waste to be safely recycled. Once electronics are brought to one of these OES-approved collection sites, the items are:

• Collected and Shipped—Items are received at the collection site and are then shipped to an OES-approved consolidation facility (i.e. warehouse).

 

• Inspected and Weighed—At the consolidation facility, the items are inspected and weighed.

 

• Safely Dismantled and Separated—Electronics are then sent to RQO-approved and OES-contracted primary processors who carefully dismantle the items and separate them into individual components by commodity, such as metal, glass and plastics. It is this process that sets OES apart: proper dismantling is critical to ensure potentially harmful components such as batteries, mercury, lead, inks and toners are safely separated and kept out of landfill. Primary processors contracted with OES must have RQP status, a verification program operated by the Recycler Qualification Office (RQO) which is which is under the oversight of the Electronic Products Recycling Association, www.eprassociation.ca.

 

• Shredded and Smelted—Once the components are safely dismantled and separated, valuable commodities such as steel, aluminum, copper, glass and plastic are shredded, smelted or processed as raw materials for future production. Recycled plastics are used to manufacture water pipes, recycled glass is fabricated into new monitoring or TVs, and metals can be minted into coins.

 

For more information call 519-360-0821