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Queen Charlotte Islands residents get chance to recycle old TVs, computers(Canadian Press DataFile Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. _ People from B.C.'s Queen Charlotte Islands will finally get a chance to recycle some of their aging electronics that have been taking up storage space for years. Recycling company Encorp Pacific will be on the Island, also known as Haida Gwaii, on the weekend so residents can drop off their obsolete electronic items _ for free. The items will be accepted at a site on Graham Island to give residents and businesses a one-time chance to get rid of their old TV sets, printers, fax machines, computers and accessories including cables. Computer monitors or TVs with shattered glass will not be taken due to hazardous material regulations. DVD and CD players and cell phones are also not included in the program. The Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District is co-ordinating the pickup in conjunction with B.C.'s Return-it Electronics program. Joyce Thayer, executive director for the Electronic Stewardship Association of B.C., said the program has so far collected over 21 million kilograms of recyclabes. "These events will build on that success and help ensure that returned end-of-life electronics are recycled responsibly," she said. Thayer said the stewardship association is an industry-led not-for-profit agency and is overseen by Encorp Pacific. The return-it program is approved by the B.C. government, which is attempting to keep old electronics out of landfills and prevent them from being shipped to developing countries where they could be processed in an unsafe manner. (Prince Rupert Daily News) (c) 2009 The Canadian Press |