Electronic Stewardship Program, Canada's Special Computer Plan

Posted by Cappadonna on Thursday, September 30, 2010

By Adriana Noton

The Electronic Stewardship Program is Canada's answer to helping keep electronic components and as many things connected with computers, music players or other plug and play type machinery out of their landfills. Through this program, there are approximately 44 products which are eligible for a change from their existing situation to one that would be beneficial to someone and not in the landfill. This organization is in charge of recycling, reusing and refurbishing many of the electrical games, computers or other type appliances that might have filled a space in the ground but is now able to be used where they are needed most.

This organization took a two prong method in creating the near perfect balance of taking unwanted electronic and electrical items out of the hands of those who didn't want them and putting them into the hands of those who could refurbish or recycle them into something usable. The beginning of the program started in April of 2009 and the second tier of the plan premiered in April 2010. All issues pertaining to electronics of a particular kind were addressed in the first push. These were items such as computers and all their accessories such as mice, keyboards and printers, fax machines and monitors. There were also accepting televisions. The second tier roll out was organized to gather electronics such as telephones, cell phones and amplifiers, equalizers and video recorders and radios.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment program and plan (WEEE) falls under the waste diversion act which means that some electronic equipment will be diverted from the landfills into usable resources. Refurbishing old computers so they are almost like new is one way to help the environment and keep the computers out of the landfills. Once they have been refurbished, they could be reused in schools or prisons or places that have a hard time finding the funding to purchase new computers.

The group is a non-for-profit organization that was formed by some of the leading consumer electronic companies, retail outlets and information technology and consumer electronics equipment companies. The WEEE plan necessitates that first importers, assemblers, franchise owners and brand owners each pay a fee for the EEE, electronic and electrical equipment issued to Canada. These fees are then used by the organization to operate the WEEE program.

Over the entire Ontario region, there seems to be approximately 91,000 tons of electrical equipment which includes computers and other devices like radios, all available for reuse or recycling. The WEEE program is the first of its kind and before it was established; only about one-quarter was managed properly. This means that electronic equipment was not recycled and it was going into the landfills. There are a few electrical pieces that are not harmful and then there are those electronics that could contain a mixture of lead, mercury and cadmium. If these things are not disposed of properly, they could become a hazard to people and the environment.

The WEEE program takes care of the electrical and electronic equipment, the EEE, and the chosen plan that a participant will enter into will have some responsibility for a payment to the WEEE. In addition, all the fees, 100 percent of them, will go to the WEEE from the Stewards, which is what the companies who join the organization are called. There is an application and interview process to make sure a company will take the terms and conditions seriously in helping to preserve the environment.

When a Steward enters into the program, they are required to send in a special report on a monthly basis. These reports cover the extent at which the EEE is reused, recycled and refurbished back into the community. It is part of the agreement the Stewards sign when they come on board with this type of program. They agree to all the terms and conditions in helping out the organization in keeping these types of items out of landfills and helping the environment in any way they can.

The special recycling plan, that helps reduce the amount of electronics that goes into the landfill for Canada, is called the Electronic Stewardship Program. This program also helps to get computers and other electrical devices into the hands of those who could really use them but can not afford them. In its short existence, this program has proven to be a winning combination of a helping hand to the environment and those who need a helping hand with their electrical equipment purchases.

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