Staff
District residents will get a chance this Saturday (Sept. 18) to get rid of electronics they can’t normally throw away at the landfill.
Ontario Electronic Stewardship will be holding a Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) free collection day from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Public Works yard on Fifth Street West.
According to OES, the public can return everything from answering machines, audio cassette players/recorders, and cameras (digital and non-digital) to CD players/recorders, CD-ROM and DVD drives, cellular phones and cordless phones, computer keyboards, mice, and terminals, and desktop computers, copiers, and printers.
Other material being accepted includes fax machines, floor-standing copiers and printers, hand-held personal computers and printers, laptop computers, home theatre equipment, radios, scanners, stereo amplifiers, speakers, and turntables, TVs, and video cameras (analog and digital).
The OES website (www.recycleyourelectronics.ca) states old electronics will be managed properly once they’re dropped off, but that people should take precautions to protect their privacy.
“From the time that electronic waste is accepted from consumers at an OES-certified collection location, used electronics are managed according to the highest levels of security and environmental standards at every stage of the process, including transportation and recycling,” according to the OES.
“When you choose to recycle your ‘end of life’ electronics, it will not be reused [and] OES will make every effort to ensure the privacy and security of any personal information.
“OES cannot, however, accept liability for any data that remains on the computer,” it stressed.
“As always, protect your privacy. Be sure to back up your data and wipe clean all drives on computers and laptops.”
The OES said the same precautions apply to SIM cards and other storage devices in cellphones—even memory cards in digital cameras and picture frames.
If you are unsure how to clean data, check your owner’s manual.
OES operates the WEEE program on behalf of Waste Diversion Ontario, an agency created by the provincial government to oversee a range of waste diversion programs authorized under the Waste Diversion Act, 2002.
The program, which began April 1, 2009, increases opportunities for Ontarians to recycle old, unwanted electronics and keep them out of landfills.
As of April 1, 2010, up to 44 electronic waste items are accepted for safe recycling across Ontario.
