How many electronic gadgets does your family have?
What’s your favorite electronic gadget? An iPad? Video game? TV? How many gadgets does your family use? Would you believe that the average home has 24 electronic products!
Do you ever think about what happens to these gadgets when you are done with them? When you stop using them and are ready to dispose of these products, they are sometimes known as electronic waste, or “eWaste.”
What should we do with our old electronics?
Don’t trash them. First, we should never throw #eWaste in the trash! Even the small stuff like phones or batteries shouldn’t go in the trash. There are some toxic and dangerous chemicals in these products that don’t belong in the trash. It’s bad for our environment, plus it means throwing away valuable metals that can be recycled. Remove personal information from electronic devices before you recycle them. Receivers are not liable for any data that’s still on your device, and no one can recover or return recycled products.
Learn to fix your gear. Follow guides to safely repair items by yourself. Repair saves you money. It saves the environment, it connects us to our things. Ditch the throwaway economy.
Pass them on for reuse. Sometimes you have something that still works, but you don’t use it any more. But somebody else might use it. The best thing to do is to give it to someone else who can keep using it. If you don’t find a family member or friend who wants it, you can often donate it to a charity in your community.
Recycle them. If you can’t find someone who wants to use your old gadget, then you can recycle it. You probably already recycle newspapers or bottles or cans from your house. Electronics can be recycled, too.
Would you believe that the average home has 24 electronic products!
Where should we take our e-waste for recycling?
What is an electronics recycler? There are companies that will take our old electronics, take them apart, and separate and recycle the materials inside – like plastic, glass, and metals. Many of these materials can then be used to make new products. Customers can recycle several items at #StaplesCanada and #BestBuyCanada stores.
Free In-Store Recycling at Staples Canada and BestBuy Canada
Staples Canada and BestBuy Canada are committed to recycling and diverting materials from waste streams. These items include technology products, ink and toner cartridges, mobile phones, personal electronics and rechargeable batteries. If you have some larger items that Staples won’t take (like TVs), take them to Best Buy.
Batteries (alkaline, lithium ion, rechargeable, and cell phone batteries under 5 pounds)
Cellular Devices and Pagers
Computer Peripherals
Cords and Cables
Countertop Microwave Ovens
Desktop Computers
Desktop & Portable Scanners
Desktop Printers/ Multi-Function Printers
Display Devices - TVs, Monitors
External Storage Drives and Modems
GPS and Portable Car Electronics
Home Audio/Video Systems
IT and Telecom Equipment
Medical and Monitoring Equipment
Musical Instruments
Non-Cellular Telephones and Answering Machines
Personal/Portable Audio Systems
Portable Computers
Small/Large Battery Powered Toys
Vehicle Audio/Video Systems
Video Gaming Systems and Accessories
Battery Recycling Program
Staples Canada and BestBuy Canada collects used batteries (rechargeable and alkaline) at all store locations for recycling. Just bring them to the customer service desk and put the batteries in the designated Call2Recycle partner box. Over 1 million kilograms of used household batteries have been collected and safely recycled through the program since 2004.
Ink and Toner Recycling Program
Every year 300 million ink cartridges end up in North American landfills. Staples Canada accepts used ink and toner cartridges.
Electronics Recycling
Staples Canada and its national electronics recycling partner eCycle Solutions take back end-of-life electronics at almost all of its retail locations (excluding stores in Calgary, Alberta). Recyclable items accepted include cell phones, computers, computer parts and more. To date, Staples Canada has collected 20.5 million kilograms of e-waste for recycling through its electronics recycling program.
Staples Canada is an authorized e-waste provider site through the Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA) nationally.
Writing Instruments
In 2012, Staples Canada launched a writing instrument recycling program in partnership with Terracycle. The program encourages customers to drop off used writing instruments, such as pens, pencils, markers and highlighters at local stores, which are then shipped to Terracycle for recycling.
Shredding
Staples Canada has partnered with Iron Mountain to offer its customers a secure paper shredding service. This allows you to safely and cost effectively destroy unnecessary sensitive paper documents.
With our shredding service, we are as committed to protecting the environment as we are to protecting your privacy. That's why all shredded materials are recycled to minimize waste, pollution and impact on our natural resources.
Learn more about Staples Canada's environmental program.
To recycle something not listed, what can I do?
If you want to recycle something that’s not listed, please review the City of Toronto's Electronic Waste handling rules. If your eWaste is deemed suitable, you may arrange to take them to municipal Drop-Off Depot Locations.
Sincerely,
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