Although the holidays are right around the corner, the environment is still top of mind for many British Columbians; yet more than two million small appliances end up in landfill each year.
Not surprisingly, many concerned citizens are looking for an alternative to trashing their toasters this holiday season.
A recent survey by McAllister Opinion Research found nearly all British Columbians (97%) would consider participating in a small appliance recycling program and another 89 per cent would encourage others to take part.
A new province-wide initiative called Unplugged, the Small Appliance Recycling Program, may be just the recycling alternative B.C. residents are looking for.
Introduced by the Canadian Electrical Stewardship Association (CESA), Unplugged is a comprehensive recycling program designed to divert old or broken small appliances from the province’s waste stream. It has been in action since October 1st.
“Launching a small appliance recycling program is an important environmental milestone for B.C.,” says Larry Moore, President of CESA. “We are committed to ensuring these products are collected and recycled properly, efficiently and effectively.”
With over 100 Unplugged collection depots across British Columbia, recyclers will be able to drop-off their small appliances at convenient locations over the holidays.
The program accepts over 120 small appliances designed for residential use, ranging in size from electric toothbrushes and toasters, to countertop microwaves and vacuums.
Unplugged is a non-profit program funded by a recycling fee applied to new products brought into B.C. by small appliance manufacturers and retailers. This fee may be included in a product’s price or displayed as a separate charge at check-out and completely covers all program costs, including collection, transportation and recycling to help ensure Unplugged delivers significant environmental benefits.
British Columbians can find more information about the new program by going to unpluggedrecycling.ca