The recycling of old cell phones and other electrical equipment is on the rise in the city of Ottawa in the Canadian province of Ontario, much to the delight of officials. During the Ontario Electronic Stewardship’s mobile e-drive, which was held during last fall, the city of Ottawa collected more used cell phones and other electrical waste products than any other municipality in Ontario.
“This is another indication of how the citizens of Ottawa are committed to doing the right things for the environment, even if it takes an extra step,” says Mayor Jim Watson, who along with Environment Committee Chair Maria McRae, is urging the city’s denizens to keep up the good work. “We are moving down the road toward a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren, and these types of programs are helping us get there.”
The City of Ottawa has teamed up with the Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) in order to increase awareness of the proper disposal of electronic items such as old cell phones, desktop and laptop computers, televisions, printer and other electrical accessories, with impressive results – between the months of April 2009 and December last year, more than two thousand and two hundred tons of electronic waste were collected at approved e-waste collection sites in the city. “The collaboration between the City of Ottawa and Ontario Electronic Stewardship bodes well for the elimination of e-waste material in city landfills,” claims McRae. “The high rate of diversion of electronics to OES approved recycling facilities by Ottawa residents demonstrates their willingness to embrace principles of environmental sustainability.”