Environment and Conservation
April 30, 2013
Industry-led Electronic Waste Stewardship Plan Approved by Province
The Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) announced today approval of an industry-led electronic waste stewardship plan for the management of certain electronic wastes (e-waste) in the province. The plan is set to launch on August 1, 2013, and will divert items such as computers, televisions, DVD players, printers and other types of e-waste from Newfoundland and Labrador’s landfills.“Electronic waste contains potentially hazardous materials that can pose environmental threats if not properly disposed of in a responsible manner,” said the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister Responsible for the MMSB. “The electronic waste recycling program will allow residents, businesses and governments of all levels to properly manage their e-waste and advance the province a step forward in achieving the 50 per cent goal of waste reduction in the Provincial Waste Management Strategy.”
It is estimated that more than 2,600 tonnes of e-waste is generated annually in Newfoundland and Labrador. This program will see manufacturers take responsibility for their products, manage the end-of-life disposal and take an active role in waste diversion in the province.
“We have been working with electronics manufacturers to help them take a leadership role in handling the treatment of their products after their useful life,” said Mike Samson, Chief Executive Officer of the MMSB. “By having manufacturers take responsibility for their products – from development to disposal – they will increasingly think of ways to redesign their products to be more environmentally friendly, more cost efficient and easier to recycle.”
The approved plan was submitted by Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA), an electronics industry organization that currently is operational in six provinces across Canada.
“Building on the success of Electronic Products Recycling Association programs across Canada, we look forward to launching a government approved and industry-led electronic waste recycling program in Newfoundland and Labrador on August 1, 2013,” said Cliff Hacking, President and CEO, Electronic Products Recycling Association. “EPRA Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to working in partnership with manufacturers, retailers, provincial and municipal government, and consumers to ensure end-of-life electronics are diverted from landfills, and efficiently and responsibly recycled.”
Additional information regarding the Electronic Waste Stewardship Plan is provided in the backgrounder below.
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Media contacts:| Melony O’Neill Director of Communications Department of Environment and Conservation 709-729-2575, 689-0928 moneill@gov.nl.ca |
Ashley Russell Marketing and Communications Specialist MMSB 709-757-3640 arussell@mmsb.nl.ca |
| Jill Thomas Myrick Communications Advisor Electronics Products Recycling Association 902-324-0301 jill.thomasmyrick@eprassociation.ca |
BACKGROUNDER
Electronic Waste Stewardship Plan
The EPRA will take an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) approach and is required, under government regulation, to develop, finance and manage the collection and recycling of their products, operating Newfoundland and Labrador’s e-waste program on behalf of the electronics industry. An EPR approach also maintains high standards for the collection and recycling of end-of-life electronics from an environmental, economic, social, and health and safety perspective. An EPR approach to recycling electronics is a standard practice in other jurisdictions in Canada.
The program, set to launch on August 1, 2013, will divert e-waste – items such as computers, televisions, DVD players, printers and other types of broken electrical or electronic devices – from Newfoundland and Labrador’s landfills. Nineteen permanent collection facilities will be established throughout the province by the end of year one, and annual collection events will be implemented in an additional 31 communities by the end of year two. EPRA Newfoundland and Labrador will also launch a province-wide public education and awareness campaign to encourage program engagement and participation among consumers and businesses.
2013 04 30 10:25 a.m.