Electronics Recycling FAQs
EPRA British Columbia 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 British Columbia drop-off location.
EPRA British Columbia is funded through Environmental Handling Fees (EHF) that are applied on the sale of all new electronic products regulated in British Columbia. It’s not a tax, nor is it a refundable deposit. The EHF on each item in the program is based on the actual cost to recycle the materials contained in the product. All program revenue is used for the collection, transportation and responsible recycling of end-of life electronics as well as program administration.
No, the fees you pay when purchasing regulated electronic products are industry levied and used to fund the responsible recycling of unwanted electronics through the EPRA British Columbia program.
EPRA is committed to recycling end-of-life electronic products collected through our network of drop-off locations in a responsible manner that protects the environment as well as worker health and safety.
EPRA only works with recyclers who have been verified under the national Electronics Recycling Standard (ERS), which was designed by the electronics industry to ensure that end-of-life-electronics are managed in a safe and environmentally sound manner.
This means that all EPRA verified recyclers must be actively processing material that is entrusted to them by EPRA. Further, our Recycler Qualification Office (RQO) verifies the recyclers against the ERS requirements. This ensures that recyclers are maintaining appropriate environmental, health and safety controls, and are properly handling all materials. For more information, visit www.RQP.ca
Consumers and businesses are responsible for ensuring that all personal data is removed from their electronic devices prior to bringing them to one of our drop-off locations. If you are unsure how to do this, contact your manufacturer for more information. While EPRA British Columbia requires that all of our recyclers protect data on electronic products from unauthorized access or theft, it is your obligation to protect your personal information. EPRA British Columbia does not accept liability for data or any other digital content that is left on electronic products collected at our drop-off locations.
For more information on how to prepare your device for recycling, visit: https://recyclemyelectronics.ca/bc/how-to-prepare-your-device
EPRA British Columbia manages end-of-life electronics according to the highest environmental standards at every stage of the recycling process. Once collected and sorted, items are sent to an EPRA-approved recycling facility for dismantling and the removal of any substances of concern for proper downstream management. All other materials are separated into different streams to recover such parts as metals, plastics and glass so they can be processed into new products.