Electronics Recycling

Electronics Disposal

Old, unwanted, end-of-life Electronics are not accepted curbside for collection. Many electronics are also NOT accepted for disposal at CBRM’s Waste Management Facility.

What do I do with old, unwanted end-of life electronics?

Old, unwanted, end-of-life electronic products can be dropped off FREE OF CHARGE to any EPRA Drop-off Centre located in CBRM.

The EPRA Drop-off Centre's located in CBRM are:

EPRA DROP-OFF CENTRE	LOCATION	PHONE NUMBER
Glace Bay Recycling Ltd.	204 Reserve Street, Glace Bay	(902) 842-0608
Keltic Recycling Ltd.	434 Keltic Drive, Sydney River	(902) 562-4008
North Sydney Recycling Ltd.	66 Memorial Drive North Sydney	(902) 241-3004
Total Recycling Ltd.	85 Industrial Drive, Sydney	(902)564-5173

For a complete list of electronics that are eligible for drop-off at a local EPRA Drop-off Centre, please visit www.recycleMYelectronics.ca/ns or phone the toll-free helpline at 1(877) 462-8907.

Electronics Accepted at an EPRA Drop-off Centre includes:

DeskTop Computers	Desktop computers (including those acting as servers) and all bundled keyboards, mice, cables and internal components.
Portable Computers	Includes portable computers such as laptops, netbooks, notebooks and tablets.
Computer Peripherals	Includes both wired and wireless manual input devices such as keyboards, mice and trackballs.
Desktop & Portable Scanners	Includes optical document/image scanning devices that residen on a desktop and portable devices. Including scanners but not limited to business card, cheque, photo negative, ID card as well as portable pen scanners.
Display Devices	Televisions and monitors and all-in-one, flat panel (LCD, LED and plasma) and rear projection.
Personal/Portable Audio/Video Systems	Includes docking speakers, portable stereos, personal CD players, portable audio recorders, tape/radio players, headphones, digital media (MP3) players, voice recorders and digital and video cameras.
Vehicle Audio/Video Systems (aftermarket)	Includes amplifiers, equalizers, speakers and in-dash audio/video components.
Home Theatre In-A-Box (HTB) Systems	Includes pre-packaged disc player/speaker/amplifier systems for use with video or television display to create a home theatre experience.
Home Audio / Video Systems	Includes VCRs, DVD and CD players, digital cable and satellite equiptment, speakers, amplifiers, recievers, data projectors and similar audio/video systems.
Phones (Telephones, Cellular & Smart Phone Devices, Pager	Includes corded and cordless telephones as well as telephone answering machines; cellular phones, including those offering camera, video recording, and/or audio functions, smartphones (cell-enabled); cell-enabled PDAs utilizing touch-screen technology; cell-enabled handheld devices.
Appliances & Microwave Ovens for Countertop Cooking	Includes countertop microwave ovens, toasters, toaster ovens, fryers, hotplates, bread makers, induction cookers, pressure cookers, waffle irons, coffee makers, espresso makers and kettles, blenders, mixers, food processors, coffee grinders, juice extractors, food dehydrators, devices, for cutting food items, and devices for opening or sealing containers or packages. Please note built-in or over-the-range microwave ovens and micro-wave/range hood combinations are excluded from the program.
Electronic Readers & Video Game Devices (Consoles, Handheld Devices& Controllers)	Includes personal and portable devices designed primarirly for reading digital e-books and periodicals; gaming consoles; handheld gaming devices, as well as game controllers and both wired and wireless joysticks.
Global Positioning System (GPS) Personal Portable & Vehicle (aftermarket)	GPS devices both for personal portable use (sports, leisure etc.) as well as aftermarket systems designed for use in a vehicle.
External Storage Driversd & Modems	External hard drives, including home media network hard drives and external optical disc drives as well as network-attached storage devices (NAS), external CD-Rom, DVD, and Blu-ray drives.
Air-Treatment Appliances (AIR CONDITIONERS NOT INCLUDED)	Includes portable fans with plug, air purifiers, heaters, corded aromaatheraphy diffusers and humidifiers. Does not include air conditioners.
Personal Care Appliances	Includes hair cutting and drying appliances, tooth care appliances, shavers and massagers.
Desktop Printers/Multi-Function Devices	Printers designed to reside on a work surface, including laser and LED, ink jet, dot matrix, thermal, dye sublimation and "multi-function" copy, scan, fax and print devices. Stand-alone desktop scanners and fax machines are also included in this category.
Devices for Measuring Time and Weight Scales	Including alarm clocks and wall clocks, timers, bathroom scales,food scales and luggage scales.
Floor or Carpet Care Applicances	Includes floor vaccums, carpet cleaners, robotic vaccums, handheld vaccums and stick vaccums.
Garment Care Appliances	Includes irons and steam cleaners.

Electronics Recycled in Nova Scotia

Electronics List for Website 2024

Effective June 1, 2024 the following obligated products will be accepted for electronics Recycling with EPRA Nova Scotia:

images/Solid_Waste/EPRA_NS_2024_Obligated_Products_List_as_of_June_1_for_Regional_Coordinators.pdf

What is Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPR) Nova Scotia?

EPRA Nova Scotia is a not-for-profit industry-led organization that oversees a government-approved end-of-life electronics recycling program throughout the province. Residents and businesses can drop-off their unwanted electronics free of charge for responsible recycling at an EPRA Nova Scotia Drop-off Centre.

How does EPRA Nova Scotia ensure that electronics are recycled responsibly?

EPRA is committed to recycling end-of-life electronic products collected through their network of Drop-off Centres in a responsible manner that protects the environment as well as worker health and safety.

Do I have to pay to return my end-of-life electronics?

Residents and businesses can drop off their unwanted, end-of-life electronics free-of-charge for responsible recycling at any EPRA Nova Scotia Drop-off Centre.

Is the program making a difference?

EPRA Nova Scotia annually collects over 732,600 devices in the province for recycling. Since 2008, the electronics recycling program has recycled more than 30,635 metric tonnes of end of electronics in an environmentally sound and socially responsible manner, diverting over 474,800 devices from landfills and illegal exports.

Why is it important to recycle electronics?

To recover valuable resources that can be put back into the manufacturing supply chain. By working together to protect resource we can extend nature’s warranty.

Dangers of Improper E-Waste Disposal:

The improper disposal of E-Waste can:

Impact our environment.
Harm animals such as birds, aquatic mammals, aquamarine life and other wildlife.
Contaminate soil and waterways.

Improper disposal of electronic waste across North America accounts for 70% or more of the toxic waste we discard. Electronics contain barium, chromium, lithium, mercury and other chemicals that when discarded improperly can damage soil and water supplies.

Interesting facts about electronics recycling:

EPRA works to keep 100,000 metric tonnes of end-of-life electronics out of landfills each year through convenient and regulated e-recycling programs.
The province of Nova Scotia was the first province in Atlantic Canada to develop and implement regulations to effectively deal with electronic waste.
Nova Scotia has been recycling electronic waste since 2008.
An estimated 4,750 tonnes of lead is contained in personal computers and televisions that are disposed of each year in Canada. 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed worldwide every year.
It takes 530 lbs of fossil fuel, 48 lbs of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture one computer and monitor.

Remember to Protect your personal Information:

Before dropping off your unwanted electronics at a local EPRA Depot for recycling, please remember to remove any personal information that you have stored in your electronic devices.

It is important to dispose of electronic waste properly and responsibly. For more information on Electronic Waste Disposal visit www.recycleMyelectronics.ca/ns or call the toll-free helpline at 1(877)462-8907.

Recycling Your Electronics Responsibly

Do you have unused or unwanted electronics? Instead of throwing them away, consider donating them or giving them to a friend.

If your electronics are beyond repair and reached the end of their useful life, recycle them by taking advantage of industry-led programs, such as EPRA (Electronic Products Recycling Association). EPRA responsibly recycles end-of-life electronics at no additional cost.

To learn more about recycling electronics or the EPRA program visit: https://divertns.ca/electronics

Electronics Recycling Program 2021

Waste Management Questions?

Residents who have questions about Waste Management in CBRM are encouraged to contact the Waste Management Hotline at (902)567-1337 or visit www.cbrm.ns.ca/solidwaste. Educators are available to respond to inquiries from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday to Friday.