JUNE 2005 ISSUE

Home > Members > Publications> The PEGG > June 2005

Country’s First Electronics Recycling Program Shows Alberta Leadership

Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted to The PEGG by Alberta Environment, in response to a request from the APEGGA Environment Committee.

Winning with Science APEGGA sponsorship has helped build science fairs and Science Olympics in Alberta. In the photo, top, is Kieran Steer, Aurora Charter School, who placed first in the elementary category for Fuel Cells. Photo bottom, is Danny Bowman of Vernon Barford Junior High School with his family, after he placed first, senior high, in the Edmonton Regional Science Fair for his entry, Operating System Comparison. A full story on science fairs, Science Olympics and APEGGA's involvement appears on page 15 of this month's PEGG. (click here for online version)

Alberta is solidifying its reputation as a leader in environmental stewardship with the creation of the first provincial electronics recycling program in Canada . The program, which came into effect in October 2004, is designed to ensure that end-of-life computer equipment and televisions are diverted from our landfills and properly recycled.

Albertans love electronics. Almost every household contains at least one television, and nearly 65 per cent of Alberta households have a personal computer. Rapid advancements in technology and a growing provincial population have increased the use of electronic equipment.

This has resulted in a growing challenge: end-of-life electronics equipment, also known as e-waste, is being placed in our landfills at an ever-increasing rate. More than 190,000 televisions and 90,000 desktop computers are expected to be disposed of from households alone in Alberta over the next year.

The Hazards in E-Waste

E-waste contains hazardous materials such as lead and mercury, and they have the potential to cause environmental and human health risks. But if properly recycled, much of this material can be turned into other useful products.

Provincial, municipal and non-government voluntary recycling programs have been successful in diverting some of Alberta ’s electronics material from our landfills. However, it has proved costly to transport and recycle e-waste, making voluntary programs difficult to sustain.

In 2003 Alberta Environment consulted Albertans to determine the best way to deal with this issue. Participation in the process reached across a full spectrum of Albertans — members of the electronics industry, rural and urban municipalities, e-waste recyclers and electronics reuse organizations, non-government and recycling organizations, landfill authorities and commissions, retailers, the industrial/commercial/institutional sector, the Alberta Government and the general public.

The consultation found that stakeholders support developing a provincial stewardship program, financed by user-fees, to manage e-waste.

ARMA Takes Charge

A non-profit organization, the Alberta Recycling Management Authority was delegated by the Government of Alberta to manage the provincewide recycling program. APEGGA is represented on the ARMA Board of Directors by Al Schulz, P.Eng.

ARMA has two divisions —Electronics Recycling Alberta and Tire Recycling Alberta. Alberta ’s tire recycling program, established in 1992, was consolidated into ARMA in order to gain greater efficiencies in managing the recycling system across the province.

There is no cross-subsidization of funds between tire recycling and electronics recycling — fees for each program are collected and used separately to manage each recycling stream.

In the initial phase of the electronics recycling program, televisions, computer monitors, CPUs, laptop computers and desktop printers are being accepted for recycling. As of February 2005, environmental fees ranging from $5 to $45 have been placed on new computer equipment and televisions sold in Alberta .

Electronics suppliers, such as manufacturers and retailers, remit applicable fees to ARMA. This money is used for the collection, transportation and recycling of e-waste, as well as for program operations, including public awareness and research.

The program applies to so-called historic e-waste, which means that it accepts computer equipment and televisions purchased before there was a recycling program in place.

The fee is not a tax, and is not collected or used by government. Rather, it is a user-fee applied only to the electronics recycling program.

Transparent and Effective

In order to ensure a transparent and effective program, the government directed that the fees collected through the program go into a dedicated fund administered by ARMA and used solely for the electronics recycling program. Fees were established after financial analysis and modeling was conducted to determine all the costs associated with recycling the material. Fees will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure they are appropriate.

While the electronics recycling program supports the reuse and resale of electronic material, it does not provide funding for those activities. The program is designed to ensure that e-waste is properly recycled, and that Albertans across the province have reasonable access to e-waste collection points.

ARMA communicates with municipalities about re-use options. ARMA and Alberta Environment also provide information about reuse and resale organizations through their call centres, and ARMA’s communication material includes information about how the program interfaces with reuse activities.

There are currently three electronics recycling companies in operation that have met the qualifications required under the program. Those companies are contracting with municipalities, and e-waste collection is already underway in many locations across the province.

Albertans have been leaders in recycling and environmental programs since 1972, when Alberta introduced the first provincial recycling program for beverage containers. Once again, with APEGGA’s participation, we are leading the way with our new electronics recycling program. Many other provinces are reviewing the management of this waste stream, and will soon be developing their own programs for recycling end-of-life electronics.