Red Deerians looking to unload old electronics after the holidays are encouraged to visit the city’s Waste Management Facility where a wide range of electronics can be recycled for free.
Residents will need to go onto the facility’s grounds and across the weigh scales, at no cost, where they will be told where to drop off their unwanted electronics.
Marilyn Moore, waste diversion specialist with the city, said if residents put electronics into their blue recycling bin it will go straight into the landfill. Only accepted blue bin items are sorted out for recycling.
“I’d just like to encourage them to bring their items to the waste management facility to the electronic dropoff rather than it being landfilled. The resources will never be used again once they’re in the landfill,” Moore said about the recyclable electronic materials.
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She said the Waste Management Facility has accepted electronics for several years, but a provincial pilot project announced by the Alberta Recycling Management Authority in 2020 vastly expanded the types of electronics accepted for recycling.
New items accepted include a variety of small appliances, audio visual equipment, telecom equipment, power and air tools, electronic games, toys and music equipment, and solar panels.
The two-year pilot, which has been extended, will also gather data to help determine how to modernize electronic recycling for the long term.
Moore said the pilot did increase the amount of recycling dropped off locally, and hopefully it will continue to grow as more people become aware of all the items that can be recycled.
“I would definitely encourage people to recycle and to check out the list. It’s so much more extensive a list than it was just a few years ago.”
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Items accepted by Red Deer’s electronic recycling program include televisions, computer monitors (CRT and LCD), central processing units, printers/printer combinations, computer-related items (mouse, keyboard, cables, desktop computer speakers), laptop and notebook computers, and tablets.
Moore said computers and televisions are the most common items dropped off for recycling, but that might change over time with the pilot.
If electronics still work people could also consider selling them or donating them to extend their use, she added.
For more information on Red Deer’s electronic recycling program visit www.reddeer.ca or call the Blue Line at 403-340-BLUE (2583). For more on the Electronics Expanded Pilot Project visit armaepilot.com. Alberta Recycling Management Authority requires items that are part of its electronic program to be recycled within North America.
To recycle cellphones and batteries visit Call2Recycle.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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