Province-wide ElectroRecycle program collects used appliances at various bottle depots
Photo by Richard McGuire
Krisandra Reid (left) and Stephen Morgan are touring the province as ElectroRecycle ambassadors. They were at the Osoyoos Bottle Depot June 5 to spread their message that small appliances can be recycled and in Osoyoos people can drop them off at the bottle depot. Vacuum cleaners and coffee makers are just a couple of the many things that can be recycled. Behind them is a stack of microwave ovens for recycling.
Two student “ambassadors” were in Osoyoos last week to encourage local residents to recycle small appliances at the Osoyoos Bottle Depot.
Krisandra Reid and Stephen Morgan are touring throughout B.C. this summer on behalf of ElectroRecycle, a non-profit, industry supported organization that promotes recycling of appliances ranging from electric toothbrushes to vacuum cleaners.
The pair set up a display in front of the bottle depot June 5 where they handed out hot dogs, green sunglasses and recycling advice to depot customers.
People often just throw out small appliances such as old power tools and kitchen appliances, said Morgan.
“It’s easy to forget that those can be recycled, because they’re covered in plastic and maybe look cheaply made,” he said. “But in the end, it’s about breaking them down and getting them to their component parts to be used again for some other things.”
People know about recycling their bottles and cans, but they don’t always know that appliances can be recycled, he said.
Even little things like plug-in air fresheners and nightlights can be recycled and the plastic gets broken down and turned into pellets, Morgan added.
“If you can pick it up or plug it in or put batteries in it, chances are our program probably takes it,” said Reid.
Microwave ovens, alarm clocks and virtually anything else electrical from the kitchen, bathroom or bedroom can be taken, she added.
One exception to the “pick-it-up” rule is that heavier exercise equipment such as treadmills and elliptical machines can also be taken.
The two students are one of three teams covering the province. On the current trip they’re visiting other communities throughout the Okanagan Valley.
Most of the small appliance recycling in the province is handled through bottle depots, but in some communities there are other recycling depots.
The Osoyoos Bottle Depot is where local residents should leave all of their small and large appliances for recycling.
Reid noted that recycled products are broken down in B.C. and Alberta, with much of it done at a plant in Surrey. It is not done offshore.
Why should local residents take appliances to the bottle depot when they can simply throw them in the garbage?
Reid points out that landfill sites have limited space and are filling fast.
“We’re going to run out of space pretty soon,” she said.
Also, people pay for the costs of recycling when they purchase electrical products and pay a recycling fee. That money covers ElectroRecycle’s costs.
“You’re getting your money’s worth if you’re bringing in your old stuff,” she said. “It’s all meant to be cyclical.”
“Speaking of finite space,” said Morgan, “everyone’s got a basement or garage that is just full of stuff they don’t want anymore and it’s a matter of convenience that you can just bring it here and it’s someone else’s problem.”
Material is also turned into new products, conserving resources and energy and helping the environment.
“It’s actually 95 per cent more efficient to recycle aluminum than it is to make it from scratch,” Reid said.
Some products are not accepted under the ElectroRecycle program. These include non-electrical products, larger appliances such as washers and dryers, commercial appliances and those with refrigerant such as air conditioners and fridges.
Computers and other electronics are instead accepted under a different program, Return-It Electronics, which also operates locally through the Osoyoos Bottle Depot.
ElectroRecycle is managed by the Canadian Electrical Stewardship Association (CESA), a non-profit, industry association of manufacturers and retailers of electrical products.
The program meets a mandate established by the provincial Ministry of the Environment and it’s conducted in partnership with the B.C.-based Product Care Association.
The ElectroRecycle website provides information about products accepted and its other locations at: www.electrorecycle.ca.
BY RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
