Industry To Tackle E-Waste In Canada

Consumer electronics and information technology industries combine to address e-waste.

Leaders in Canada's consumer electronics and information technology industries have joined forces to find environmentally-friendly solutions for the growing problem of what to do with electronics equipment at the end of its useful life. They have created Electronics Product Stewardship Canada (EPS Canada), a not-for-profit organization that will work with an array of partners and stakeholders to design, promote and implement sustainable solutions for Canada's electronic waste problem.

"There is a strong movement in the marketplace to behave more responsibly in the disposal of the products consumers acquire and use," David Betts, president of EPS Canada, says. "We've already had a generation of experience recycling products such as newspapers and bottles. The electronics and IT industries recognize the need to ensure an equally responsible approach to end-of-life management of the products and tools that we produce."

The founding members of EPS Canada, all of whom have provided seed funding, include Apple Canada Inc., Brother International Corporation (Canada) Ltd., Canon Canada Inc., Dell Canada, Epson Canada Ltd., Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Co., Hitachi Canada Ltd., IBM Canada Ltd., Lexmark Canada Inc., LG Electronics Canada, Panasonic Canada Inc., Sanyo Canada Inc., Sharp Electronics of Canada Ltd., Sony of Canada Ltd., Thomson Multimedia Ltd. and Toshiba of Canada Ltd. EPS Canada was created through the joint efforts of the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) and Electro-Federation Canada (EFC).

EPS Canada has already begun operations. It is currently consulting with governments, consumers and other stakeholders across Canada to design appropriate programs for the safe reuse and recycling of equipment such as personal computers, laptops, printers and television products.

A key part of the organization's early mandate will be to prepare the market to understand the benefits of a progressive electronics recycling program and the cost implications. Electronics Product Stewardship Canada expects to launch its first end-of-life management program in 2004.

Electro-Federation Canada is a national, not-for-profit industry association representing over 250 member companies, key players in the electrical, electronics and telecommunications industries in Canada. Together, EFC member companies contribute over $50 billion to the Canadian economy, while employing more than 130,000 workers in more than 1400 facilities in Canada. EFC member companies manufacture and distribute a diverse array of products including household appliances, lighting, consumer electronics, communications and electronic equipment, cabling, industrial equipment and other electrical products.

ITAC is the voice of the Canadian information technology industry. Together with its partner organizations across the country, the association represents 1,300 companies in the computing and telecommunications hardware, software, services, and electronic content sectors. This network of companies accounts for more than 70 percent of the 542,000 jobs, $132.6 billion in revenue, $5.3 billion in R&D expenditure and $44 billion in exports that IT contributes annually to the Canadian economy.

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