COMPUTER / ELECTRONIC RECYCLING

Environment Canada estimates between 30 and 50 million computers will be dumped in our landfill sites in Canada by 2005. Noranda Inc. recently built a $3 million recycling facility in Brampton, Ontario as a direct response to increasing volumes of end of life electronics in Canada.

Since September 2000 Kin Enterprises Inc. in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan has been recycling computers and electronic materials. The purpose of this project was our desire to create fully compensated employment for individuals with disabilities in the collection, consolidation and dismantling of computers and electronics. The program assists in the development of independence and appropriate personal and social skills for application in our agency and within the community.

 
Salvage material of copper, aluminum, steel, tin, cords and cables are sold to local scrap buyers. The high grade circuit boards are shipped to Noranda, low grade circuit boards to Edmonton and the plastic is sent to Calgary for plastic lumber manufacturing.

In the first two years of operation our computer recycle program saved almost 8,000 computers, monitors, printers, copiers, calculators, televisions and VCR's totaling over 130,000 pounds sold for recycle and saved from our landfill site. It is estimated that it takes approximately 80 - 100 years for aluminum to decompose, tin up to 50 years and plastic indefinitely.

E waste recycling provides a win win situation, providing gainful employment to adults with special needs and saving our landfill. It seems prudent to have a plan that deals with this waste sooner rather than later.