UNPLUGGED; BC’s Newest Recycling Program

by Susan MacVittie

If you’re wondering what to do with the old toaster you replaced at Christmas, you now have the option of recycling it through one of 100 re­cycling locations as part of BC’s Un­plugged, Small Appliance Recycling Program. Unplugged is the first small appliance recycling program of its kind in Canada and the only govern­ment-approved small appliance recy­cling program in BC. Launched Octo­ber 1st, 2011 by the Canadian Electri­cal Stewardship Association (CESA), the program accepts more than 120 small appliancesfor recycling, rang­ing from toasters and electric tooth­brushes to countertop microwaves and vacuum cleaners.

Waste Not, Want Not

Unplugged recycles small ap­pliances designed for residential use only and powered by batteries or plugged in to 12 Volt or 120 Volt power. Products are divided into cat­egories including: kitchen countertop, time measurement, weight measure­ment, garment care, air treatment, floor care and personal care.

After an appliance is brought to a drop-off location, it is transported to processors in Western Canada and separated into different materi­als which are then recycled. Metals will be smelted down and recycled into other metal products, while plas­tics and glass will be sorted and sold or reused in various manufacturing processes.

More than 2,000,000 small appli­ances end up in BC landfills per year. Recycling can be an energy saver as it takes 95% less energy to recy­cle aluminum than it does to make it from raw materials. Recycled steel uses 74% less energy, while recycled glass uses 30% less energy. We also know that recycling reduces waste in the landfill and although most small appliances do not contain significant amounts of hazardous materials, some older appliances like irons and oil-filled heaters may still contain oil and mercury. The Unplugged website states that hazardous materials will be removed from these products and responsibly managed ensuring poten­tially hazardous materials are kept out of our environment.

Nothing is Free                                    

As a non-profit program, Un­plugged is fully funded by a recycling fee applied to new products brought into BC by small appliance manufac­turers and retailers. The recycling fee covers all program costs, including collection, transportation and recy­cling, and may be included in a prod­uct’s price or displayed as a separate charge at check-out. The fee has been set by the Canadian Electrical Stew­ardship Association (CESA) and it is not collected or managed by the gov­ernment, and the government does not track or report on it.

Many of the Unplugged depots are located at pre-existing recycling depots. To find the nearest small ap­pliance recycling depot near you, check the Unplugged website www.unpluggedrecycling.ca

Electronic Recycling

While many are happily using their new electronic gadget received over the holidays, electronic recycling depots are busily processing piles of used electronic equipment.

Instead of chucking electronic toys and devices into the landfill, electronic waste recycling programs have been set up in most provinces and retail stores like Best Buy and Fu­tureshop. In fact, more than 140,000 tonnes of e-waste were legally dis­posed of in Canada in 2008.

In BC throwing items like elec­tronics, batteries and fluorescent light bulbs into household garbage is banned. Most devices contain chemi­cals like lead and mercury that can leach into the ground.

The list of recyclable gadgets is steadily growing. Among them now are:

• TVs

• Computers

• Stereos

• VCRs

• Cameras

• Phones

• Batteries

• Hand Mixers

• Vacuum Cleaners

• Other personal electronics

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[From WS January/February 2012]