The Saskatchewan government has proposed expanding its e-scrap program to cover cell phones, power tools and more.
The province’s Electronic Equipment Stewardship Regulations were established in 2007 to decrease the amount of e-scrap entering Saskatchewan landfills, increase the amount of material recycled and increase resident access to recycling. They were updated and expanded in 2010 and 2018, using feedback from industry and the community.
The proposed changes would apply to both electronics recycling in the province and to the broader Recycle My Electronics program, according to a summary of the proposal. The Electronic Products Recycling Association is the producer responsibility organization charged with operating Recycle My Electronics. EPRA also operates programs for electronic equipment recycling in all of Canada’s other provinces except Alberta.
Since Saskatchewan’s 2018 updates, many other Canadian provinces have expanded their lists of accepted items to include small appliances, power tools, lawn and garden equipment, musical instruments such as amplifiers and electronic keyboards, and games and toys, the release said.
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment is now proposing to also expand the province’s list of accepted devices to include cell phones, small appliances and power tools.
One factor in the expansion is that at the end of 2022, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association discontinued the voluntary national Recycle My Cell program. Cell phones are already included in EPR regulations in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Alberta also includes cell phones as part of its provincial stewardship program for electronic products.
The ministry will accept public comment until Sept. 13, 2024. Written comments can be directed to waste.management@gov.sk.ca.
The regulations are part of efforts to reduce the amount of waste entering Saskatchewan landfills and increase the recycling rate for electronic equipment. The province’s Solid Waste Management Strategy has reduction targets of 30% by 2030 and 50% by 2040.
The ministry also is proposing a change in terminology from “first seller” to “producer” and revising the language in the producer hierarchy. The proposal would add definitions for terms including “brand owner,” “end user,” marketplace facilitator” and “recycle,” among others.
