US Moves to Aggressively Promote the Electronics Recycling Market while Ontario's Future Remains Uncertain

Jul 25th, 2011 9:56 AM

For Immediate Release July 25, 2011 At an event last week in Austin, Texas the Obama administration released a National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship to deal with responsible electronic product design, purchasing, management and recycling in the burgeoning electronics waste and recycling market. This commitment by the US to tackle the environmental concerns around electronic waste while capitalizing on job creation and investment comes at a time when Ontario's electronics and household hazardous waste recycling programs future remains uncertain as the provincial election looms. None of Ontario's political parties have clearly articulated their commitment to increase waste diversion and to ensure effective and efficient recycling programs. Quotes: "Ontario has made a great deal of progress on waste diversion and has the opportunity to be a leader, however, this will not happen if the discussion is based on the fallacy that waste diversion can be increased without paying for it or that everything is working perfectly in our current waste diversion programs," explained Rob Cook, CEO of the Ontario Waste Management Association. "Open and competitive recycling programs that make individual producers responsible for the cost of recycling their products and include enforceable targets would go a long way to fixing our current system." "In the upcoming provincial election, we hope each party will clearly outline what they will do to advance our shared desire to increase diversion while ensuring accountable, efficient and effective waste diversion." Quick Facts: • Ontario currently generates 12.5 million tonnes of waste annually - almost 1 tonne per person. • In 2010, extended producer responsibility programs uploaded over $250 million of municipal costs. • Every 1,000 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill generates roughly 7 equivalent ‘green' jobs. • New York and Texas have recently joined the many North American jurisdictions that have moved forward with producer responsibility programs for waste electronics. About The Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA) The Ontario Waste Management Association, founded in 1977, speaks for nearly 300 private and public sector members who provide the products and services for a better environment. Our business is to protect the environment through the proper management of waste and recyclable materials. Learn more about the Ontario Waste Management Association For More Information Contact: Rob Cook, CEO OWMA 905-791-9500 rcook@owma.org