The Alberta government had introduced an Electronics Recycling Pilot Program back in 2020, which allowed for more than 500 types of electronics to be recycled.
Under the pilot program, 14,500 tonnes (roughly the equivalent weight to 4,000 cars) of material was diverted away from landfills.
Because of that, the provincial government announced on August 13th that they are making this program a permanent part of recycling in Alberta, effective April 1, 2025.
Currently, under this program, 8,500 tonnes of electronic waste are being diverted each year, and it is expected that going forward, the program will divert roughly 5,500 tonnes of electronic waste.
It allows for the recycling of electronics like power tools, lawn and garden equipment, small appliances, cell phones, video game equipment, and more.
As of right now, there are no dedicated solar panel recycling programs or facilities in the country.
Conversely, it's estimated 800,000 tonnes of solar panels could reach their end-of-life by around 2050.
There are also no provincial wind turbine recycling programs in the country, and Quebec is the only province that offers a voluntary, industry-led EV battery recovery program.
With this new recycling progrtam, the province is planning to begin developing Canada's first provincial recycling programs for solar panels, wind turbine components, and electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
"Building on the success of the Electronics Recycling Pilot Program, we are stepping up to reduce waste and create the best recycling system in Canada -- especially when it comes to proactively addressing materials from wind and solar electricity. We’re not just focused on what Albertans want to recycle today, but also what they are going to want to recycle 20 years from now," explained Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz in a media release from August 13th.
The electronics will be able to be dropped off at one of 365 registered recycling depots across the province.
"This is new. So, of course it's not going to happen overnight," explained Minister Schulz in a media conference from August 13th. "We are going to work with the Alberta Recycling Management Authority to start engaging with industry leaders this fall. This includes looking at what fees, policies, and additional programs are needed to move this forward. This includes looking at what level of fees will be needed to ensure that these products are going to be able to be managed in this system and what types of regulations are needed to keep these materials out of the landfills."
To learn more about this program, click here.