26 Feb

Perhaps you've noticed, we like to share interesting news from the world of recycling and environmental responsibility. There are so many great ideas out there that we feel compelled to share them with you regularly. Sometimes, though, its nice to have a list of great reading material that you can refer to. With that in mind we proudly present: Island Return It's Favourite Blogs 2014 1) Zero Waste Cowichan - This blog is written by the Cowichan Valley Regional District's Zero Waste Challenge team. It includes local news, helpful information and fun facts. 2) UsedBlog - UsedEverywhere.com writes a fun blog centered around reusing products, upcycling and being creative while staying true to green themes and values. 3) My Zero Waste - This blog chronicles the efforts made by one family to dramatically reduce the amount of trash they have created since 2004. 4) Grist - Grist is a "Beacon in the Smog" and topics range from Climate...

23:28 / Community
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17 Feb

First things first, Island Return It Recycling Centres doesn't dispose of unused medications. In Canada, pharmacists are the best bet for this as they have a designated stewardship program in place. When you have unused or expired medications in your home it is important that you dispose of them in a safe and responsible manner. In this blog post, we will explain how to safely remove potentially dangerous narcotics and medications from your home. Toss It?  Nope. The easiest thing to do is to simply throw old medicine into the trash. However, we strongly advise that you not do that! Unused pills might be mistaken for candy by small children and sometimes this leads to tragic results. Likewise if a household pet or wild animal were to get into your garbage. Flush It? Nope. Some drugs are safe to flush down the toilet but not all and because expired medicines are not processed during sewage treatment,...

19:40 / Community / Industry News / Recycle Me
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13 Jan

This past Christmas when we threw our annual holiday party (which was awesome!) and we presented everyone on the Island Return It team with a special gift. A gift that meant more to us than a bottle of wine or a book or anything else we could have dreamed up. This year we wanted to give the gift of nourishment not just to our employees but their families too. So everyone got a chicken. Promoting Health and Hope We choose to purchase the chickens from the Hope Farm in the Cowichan Valley for a few reasons: 1) We wanted to support our neighbors Hope Farm is located close to the Island Return It head office in Duncan and we love the "Buy Local" movement and want to participate. Promoting the products and services available in our communities is important to us, as we live and work in them too. 2) We wanted to support a worthwhile...

21:33 / Community / Local
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26 Dec

Worldwide, as much as 50 million tons of old electronics are discarded annually The dangers of discarded, old computers stem from what's inside them. Your typical piece of electronic equipment -- especially one like a PC with many circuit boards -- may contain up to 8 pounds of lead, along with lower levels of mercury, arsenic, cadmium, beryllium and other toxic chemicals   Recycling older computers and computers accessories at Island Return It is an easy way to ensure that your older pcs aren’t sitting in a landfill contributing additional toxins into the environment. As you may imagine, landfills are a particularly harsh hotbed for pollutants and almost one in six (Canadian) households puts its unwanted electronic equipment in the garbage, and 35% of households say they do not know what to do with it. [Source: Stats Canada] What Our Customers Say The biggest concern that we hear from our customers is about privacy and...

23:45 / Industry News / Recycle Me
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22 Dec

With little kids come big messes. When people become new parents they learn how quickly extra waste accumulates, mountains of outgrown clothes form and discarded toys abound. I remember thinking that I would never catch up with the overwhelming pile of baby clothes that no longer fit and the loud battery-operated toys from well-meaning grandparents that made my ears ring and startled the baby. At the time, I thought I was creating more waste for the landfill and my conscience was eating me alive, I wish I had known then about Island Return It’s recycling programs. Surprising Items That Can Be Recycled 1)      Electronic Toys. When Elmo finally stops screaming for tickles don’t toss him in the trash, bring him down to your local Island Return It Recycling Centre and drop him off. The Electronic Toy Recycling Program is the first of its kind in North America and targets the eventual diversion of...

06:51 / Recycle Me
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