E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world and its management is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time.
Like other countries around the world, Canada is grappling with the challenge of reducing levels of unsafe disposal and processing of e-waste and increasing levels of reuse, recycling and recovery (“the three “Rs”), while also encouraging manufacturers to design safer products.
E-waste legislation in Canada has been set mainly at provincial level, and has primarily taken the form of regulations requiring extended producer responsibility (ERP) or product stewardship for designated electrical and electronic products. The federal government plays a role by promoting standards and harmonization between provinces. The industry association, Electronics Product Stewardship Canada was established in 2003 with the mandate to create a national electronics stewardship program and work with provinces and territories on the development of their programs. In 2004, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) endorsed the “National Model for E-waste Stewardship”, developed by Electronics Product Stewardship Canada.
The objective of extended producer responsibility is to make manufacturers accountable for the whole life cycle of their products, including funding the cost of recycling or safe disposal. If appropriately designed, ERP provides a direct incentive for manufacturers to incorporate environmental considerations into product design. By 2013, the majority of Canadian provinces had implemented legislation for the management of e-waste based on this model. In parallel, many manufacturers of electrical and electronic products have implemented e-waste management programs, such as take-back schemes.
Canada has made excellent progress in recent years in addressing the e-waste challenge, particularly in the areas of harmonization, education and awareness-raising, technological developments, and e-waste management performance. However, there is still considerable room for improvement in order to ensure that volumes of e-waste are effectively controlled and managed in efficient and cost effective ways with little or no adverse impact on the environment. If this can be accomplished, there are good prospects for Canada to become a world leader in product stewardship and e-waste management.
The E-Waste Management Challenge
E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world and its management is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. This waste stream consists of electrical or electronic items that have been discarded by their users, whether they are reusable, repairable, recyclable or destined for disposal in landfill sites. It has unique features: the processing of e-waste is complicated and can be extremely hazardous for people, wildlife and the environment, but e-waste recycling is also a potentially lucrative activity, generating valuable materials that can be resold at high prices.
Like other countries around the world, Canada is grappling with the challenge of reducing levels of unsafe disposal and processing of e-waste and increasing levels of reuse, recycling and recovery (“the three “Rs”), while also encouraging manufacturers to design safer products. Environment Canada reports that volumes of e-waste are increasing by 4% annually across the country; historically, 90% of this waste has been disposed of in landfills and only 10% recycled or recovered. In recent years, excellent progress has been made in addressing the e- waste management challenge in Canada.
Extended Producer Responsibility – Canada’s E-Waste Management Business Model
Extended producer responsibility (ERP), also often known as product stewardship, is the business model that has been widely adopted across Canada, as in many other countries. The popularity of this model lies in its potential to be the most cost effective way of managing e-waste.
The objective of extended producer responsibility is to make manufacturers accountable for the whole life cycle of their products, including funding the cost of recycling or safe disposal. Under the most common variation of this model, manufacturers pay fees to a third party to administer an e-waste management scheme on their behalf, though sometimes they implement and manage their own take-back programs.
If appropriately designed, ERP provides a direct incentive for manufacturers to incorporate environmental considerations into product design; to keep product costs low and maintain their market competitiveness. This should reduce the overall volume of e-waste that is generated and improve rates of reuse and recycling. ERP also reduces the cost of e-waste management to governments and consumers. Supporters of ERP also argue that the collective nature of most ERP programs encourages producers to work together to improve the environmental aspects of product design.
Legislation, Policies and Programs
In Canada, there is no federal legislation directed specifically at e-waste management, although the Federal government does have an indirect impact on e-waste regulation through its toxic substance control legislation and through standards setting. E-waste legislation in Canada has been set mainly at provincial level, and has primarily taken the form of regulations requiring extended producer responsibility (ERP) or product stewardship for designated electrical and electronic products.
The non-profit association, Electronics Product Stewardship Canada was established in 2003 with the mandate to create a national electronics stewardship program and work with provinces and territories on the development of their programs. In 2004, it published a “National Model for E-waste Stewardship” with guidance on stakeholder roles and responsibilities, program management, and a proposed national cost model.
The national model was endorsed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) with the objective of promoting product stewardship as the main approach to e-waste management within Canada, and harmonizing e-waste management strategies between provinces. In 2009, the Council adopted a Canada-wide action plan for Extended Producer Responsibility. Implementation of standards and oversight of provincial programs is now the responsibility of the Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA), a national industry-led non-profit organization established in 2011.
ERP has provided provinces with the flexibility to tailor e-waste management programs to the specific needs and interests of their communities and e-waste system stakeholders, through the use of different forms of fee collection. By 2013, the majority of Canadian provinces had implemented legislation for the management of e-waste based on this model. In parallel, many manufacturers of electrical and electronic products have, on their own initiative, implemented e-waste management programs such as take-back schemes, which are intended to facilitate the process of returning end-of-life products for recycling and encourage consumers to do so.
Assessment of Progress
Some of the Canada’s main achievements in E-Waste management to date include:
Harmonization: Although e-waste management strategies and legislation are determined mainly at provincial level in Canada, programs have been harmonized to a large extent, thanks to the influence of national bodies and standards. The national standards are aligned with international regulations and guidance, ensuring that they are based on global best practice in the management of E-waste, and reducing the burden on producers of having to comply with different national requirements.
Education and Awareness-Raising: Provincial ERP programs have included education and awareness-raising components in order to help ensure that consumers, manufacturers, and e-waste service providers can participate actively and meet their own responsibilities under the program.
Technological Developments: Considerable technological advances are being made which are likely to improve the efficiency and safety of e-waste recycling and disposal and make e-waste management a more profitable business opportunity in future. Canada has world-class e-waste recycling and research facilities, such as the Edmonton Waste Management Centre, and is expected to lead the way in many areas of technological development.
Performance: Provincial programs have reported significant achievements in e-waste recycling and management. For example, between 2007 and 2010, the Electronics Stewardship Association of British Columbia (ESABC) diverted 35,000 metric tonnes of electronics from landfills, with an average monthly diversion of 1200+ metric tonnes, and in its first year of operations (2009/10) Ontario Electronics Stewardship collected 17,303 tonnes of electronic waste, or 1.31 Kg per capita.
Despite these considerable achievements, a number of opportunities for continuing development and improvement in e-waste management in Canada can also be identified:
Coverage and Harmonization Gaps: A minority of Canadian provinces and territories have not yet established formal regulations or programs for e-waste management. Also, though some degree of program harmonization has been achieved between provincial programs, there are also notable differences between them. This can complicate e-waste management compliance and increase costs for manufacturers and service providers operating in multiple provinces.
Incentives for Improved Product Design: Though one of the main objectives of Extended Producer Responsibility is to encourage improved environmental design of products to increase recyclability, the types of programs introduced in Canada to date are not optimized for this effect. Canada’s provinces might usefully consider the adoption of fee regimes that reward producers for improved environmental design.
Recycling and Reuse Goals and Targets: Though Canada’s electronics stewardship organizations are required to monitor and report on performance, greater use of formal goals and targets might be more effective in driving improvements over time.
Business Opportunities: Promoting the business opportunities and encouraging commercial providers to enter the e-waste management marketplace might help improve e-waste management capacity and efficiency.
Canada has made excellent progress in recent years in addressing the e-waste challenge, yet there is still considerable room for improvement in order to ensure that volumes of e-waste are effectively controlled, and managed in efficient and cost effective ways with little or no adverse impact on the environment. If this can be accomplished, there are good prospects for Canada to become a world leader in product stewardship and e-waste management.