ISSUES SURROUNDING the environment are front and centre in society. It is virtually impossible to go a day without hearing about global warming, climate change, or learning about more efficient ways to use energy and resources.

Corporations and individuals are getting behind campaigns like Flick Off, a Canadian-made movement that urges everyone to fight climate change by using less energy.

But what happens when your computer flicks off for good? Computers, and the peripheral materials associated with them, are fixtures in Canadian households. Therefore, Canadians have a growing need to dispose of them once they are broken or replaced by newer models.

Unfortunately, sending used electronic materials, also known as e-waste, to landfills can be harmful to the environment. E-waste includes items like televisions, computers (desktop, notebook and laptop), computer monitors, printers, telephones, facsimile machines and mobile phones, etc.

E-wastes contain toxic materials such as lead, mercury, arsenic and chromium, all of which are known or suspected to harm wildlife and human health.

In fact, these items pose no harm to users. However, once decomposition begins in landfills, chemicals can seep into the surrounding environment. According to Environment Canada, an estimated 140,000 tonnes of e-waste are discarded annually in Canadian landfills, and this number continues to increase.

One organization dedicated to making a change in the e-waste crisis is Electronic Products Stewardship Canada. Jointly created by the Information Technology Association of Canada and Electro-Federation Canada, it is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization working to develop a national electronics end-of-life program in Canada.

A coalition of more than 20 industry-leading manufacturers, it works with partners and stakeholders to design, promote and implement sustainable solutions for Canada’s electronic waste problem.

Finding a solution to the e-waste problem is not an easy task. While the management and disposal of waste is a provincial or municipal responsibility, e-waste is a national issue...

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