Electronics Recycling in Ottawa

Did you know?

With more than 13,237,830 lbs of e-waste being generated in Ottawa annually, there is not enough landfill room to accommodate the old electronics.

• Electronics contain a host a stuff that's bad for you and the environment including mercury, lead, bromium, cadmium and many others. All these compounds contaminate the environment if not properly disposed of.
• One ton of circuit boards contains approximately 40 times more gold than one ton of ore.
• Recycling creates seven times the number of jobs as standard waste disposal - and often higher paying jobs at that!
• Companies like Quantum that facilitate proper electronics recycling ensure zero environmental contamination.

Quantum services the following areas in Ottawa

Recycling Your E-Waste in Ottawa

Ottawa was recently named Canada’s Best Place to Live for the second year in a row. While many see the city as primarily a government town, Ottawa is also a major tech hub with almost 80,000 employed in the sector. While great for the economy, the tech industry generates a lot of electronics waste and end-of-life electronics disposal issues for businesses.

Ottawa has more engineers, scientists and PhDs per capita than any other city in the country. The science-focused professions are heavy tech users and also contribute to the growing volume of e-waste.

Computer Recycling in Ottawa

Laptop and desktop computers carry a high risk of data leaks, along with environmental hazards due to embedded batteries. When businesses need computer recycling services, it’s essential that the end-of-life assets are handled securely and in accordance with environmental regulations. We offer reuse and recycling services to help Ottawa businesses minimize their environmental impact and ensure compliance. At the same time, our certified data destruction services give you peace of mind in knowing any sensitive data is managed with the utmost level of security from the moment it leaves your facility.

Smartphone Recycling in Ottawa

Smartphones contain valuable materials including gold, silver, and lithium batteries. Without proper recycling, these resources go to waste. Furthermore, should they wind up in landfills, the lithium batteries in smartphones pose risks of fire and explosion. We work with Ottawa businesses and municipalities to make smartphone recycling convenient. Quantum is also fully certified, so you can rest assured any personal data is properly destroyed and your smartphones are recycled responsibly.

How Do I Recycle My Business E-Waste in Ottawa?

As a tech hub, you might think Ottawa would be way ahead of other cities in disposing of e-waste. However, like most cities and towns in Canada, one of the major problems is lack of awareness. Safe, effective disposal programs are in place but there can be a gap in accessing information about them. Businesses in particular often don’t know where to get correct information about electronics disposal.

Many businesses also don’t know that the vast majority of electronics components (about 90%) can be recycled and reused. This includes steel, glass, plastic, aluminum, copper and precious metals such as gold, silver and palladium.

What to Look for in a Recycler

When looking for a recycler for your business electronics, it is best to search for an Ottawa-based company like Quantum that is provincially and globally certified through a number of recognized recycling initiatives, including those administered by OES (Ontario Electronic Stewardship), EPRA (Electronic Products Recycling Association), and NAID-Canada.

By using a reputable electronics recycler who offers enhanced data destruction, you will feel confident in knowing that your data will be safely and permanently destroyed. You will also be secure in the knowledge that any hazardous materials in your electronics items were removed safely and disposed of correctly and that your items will not be diverted to local landfills or exported as toxic waste.

Options for Recycling Residential Electronics in Ottawa

The City of Ottawa does not collect electronic waste as part of its curbside garbage collection. Residential electronics waste can be disposed of safely through the city’s “Take It Back!” program, which can be accessed through Service Ottawa. Find the name of your electronics product (e.g., cell phone, computer, fax machine) and the site will give you a list of participating locations for disposal.

Certain items such as printers and TVs, for example, are known as Phase I electronics items and can also be taken to an Ontario Electronics Stewardship (OES) permanent depot listed here. OES is an industry-funded provincial stewardship program that facilitates and manages electronics recycling in Ontario.

In the Ottawa area, many people live within 25 km of a recycling collection depot. You can take your old or damaged electronics items to one of those locations or to periodic collection events.

Quantum also accepts residential electronics waste at no charge when dropped off at their collection facility. The address is 33B Capital Drive, Nepean, Ontario K2G 0E7 and they are open Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM.

Since 2004, electronics recycling programs across Canada have diverted more than 955,000 tonnes of end-of-life electronics from landfill. While this is a great start, we need to keep up our efforts to make a meaningful difference with e-waste. Make the decision to recycle responsibly and begin by contacting Quantum today to find out about our pickup service.