Business FAQs

EPRA-Québec is a not-for-profit industry-led organization that operates a government-approved end-of-life electronics recycling program throughout the province. EPRA-Québec offers residents and businesses practical solutions to safely, securely and responsibly recycle their unwanted electronics free of charge.

Yes. EPRA-Québec encourages businesses to prioritize the reuse of electronics that have not yet reached the end of their useful life. Therefore, if your electronics are not at the end of their useful life, we recommend that you explore reuse opportunities including donating them to family members, friends or local charities as well as approved reuse organizations.

EPRA is committed to recycling end-of-life electronic products collected through our network of authorized drop-off points in a responsible manner. 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 rqp.ca.

While EPRA-Québec requires that all of our recyclers protect data on end-of-life electronics from unauthorized access or theft, businesses are responsible for ensuring that all data is removed from electronic devices prior to disposing of them for safe and secure recycling. If you are unsure how to do this, contact your manufacturer for more information. EPRA-Québec does not accept liability for data or any other digital content that is left on electronic products collected through our program.

EPRA-Québec is funded through Environmental Handling Fees (EHF) that are applied on the cost of all new electronic products regulated and marketed in Québec. 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.

EPRA-Québec 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 metal, plastics and glass so they can be processed into new products.