There’s now a way to give used or broken electronic toys new life.
A unique program was launched last July in an effort to divert electronic toys destined for the landfill, helping reduce pollution and save energy. Introduced by the Canadian Brandowners Residual Stewardship Corporation (CBRSC), the electronic toy recycling program is the first of its kind in Canada and the only government-approved electronic toy recycling program in the province.
“B.C. has been very progressive in terms of its recycling regulations,” said program coordinator Pamela Nel.
“The intention is to get all the electronic toys into a recycling system rather than any form of disposal. The estimate by the toy industry is there is probably about two million electronic toys a year that are potentially being discarded. We really want to make sure they are handled properly and environmentally.”
The program accepts plush textiles with electronics (including dolls and stuffed animals), metal or hard plastic toys with electronics, remote control vehicles, ride on vehicles, hand-held game devices, gaming devices with PC/TV, and electronic promotional items such as those sold with meals.
After toys are brought to a drop-off location, they are transported to a recycling plant in Langley and separated into different materials. Metals are smelted down and recoiled into other metal products, while plastics are sorted and sold or reused in various manufacturing processes. Batteries are recycled through an agreement between the electronic toy program and the Call2Recycle battery recycling program.
Hope Recreation Centre will be collecting electronic toys for free April 19 to May 5.
After the collection event, residents can visit www.cbrsc.ca or call the recycling hotline at 1-800-667 4321 to find the nearest collection depot.