Québec Waste Reduction Week - Old Cell Phones and Small Electronic Devices: EPRA-Québec Calls on the Population to Recycle Their Old Electronics

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 21, 2024 /CNW/ - With Québec Waste Reduction Week (QWRW) set to run between October 21 and 27, the Electronic Products Recycling Association of Québec (EPRA‑Québec) is proud to contribute to the health of our planet and invites all Quebecers to take concrete action by recycling their old electronics. Notably, EPRA‑Québec continues to emphasize the importance of recovering old cell phones and other small devices that can no longer be used, such as MP3 players, digital cameras, and headphones since these products tend to have lower recycling rates across the province.

While these devices are widely used, they are also those most often forgotten in the bottom of a drawer, given their small size and the little space they take up. According to a CROP survey conducted last June for EPRA‑Québec, the top three old electronic products that people own but want to get rid of are cell phones/smart phones, computer accessories, and laptop computers.

Recycling old electronics: an action that is easy and accessible

The Recycle My Electronics^™ program offers more than 1,000 authorized drop-off points, accessible free of charge, all over Québec, including some 200 smartbins, also known as electrobacs. These bins make it easier to collect small electronic devices (cell phones, various wires and cables, MP3 players, tablets, headphones, chargers, etc.) as they are in places frequented daily by the population, such as grocery stores, shopping centres, educational institutions, or public transit facilities.

"There are many reasons why we hold on to a cell phone or any other old electronic device that we no longer use. Whether people don't know where to bring them or they worry their personal information will be exposed, I want to reassure them," says Martin Carli, scientist and EPRA‑Québec's official spokesperson. "Knowing that close to one in two people (47%) currently has at home old electronics they want to get rid of, I want to remind the population that dropping them off at an authorized drop-off point is easy and important because recycling an old electronic product through the official program restores its value in an ecological and safe way."

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

Protecting the planet by recycling old electronics

Thanks to the participation of the Québec population, more than 19,000 tons of old electronics were collected in 2023. This is good news, but we must continue our efforts. The responsible recycling of end-of-life electronics does indeed help to protect the planet by recovering precious resources while reducing the amount of electronic waste in landfills.

EPRA-Québec takes charge of all electronics brought to any one of 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 located in Québec and 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 and recovered for the purpose of being processed and reused to make all kinds of new products, therefore preserving non-renewable natural resources.

About EPRA-Québec

As a recognized industry-led not-for-profit organization, EPRA-Québec provides an approved environmental compliance program for manufacturers, distributors and retailers of electronics marketed in Québec. It is responsible for implementing and operating on behalf of its stewards, a responsible program for the recovery and reclamation of electronic products. Its Recycle My Electronics^™ program includes more than 1,000 authorized drop-off points accessible free of charge across the province and has helped divert more than 200,000 metric tonnes of old electronics from landfills since 2012.

SOURCE Electronic Products Recycling Association of Québec (EPRA Québec)

Interviews and information: Marie-Rose Desautels, Morin Relations Publiques [email protected], 819-580-9235