19 Mar

As part of our electronic waste recycling program we collect old TVs, along with computers, stereos, video equipment, [caption id="" align="alignright" width="320"] Old broken TV (Photo credit: schmilblick)[/caption] and many other electronics. When TVs arrive at our depots we have a special procedure we take when receiving and preparing them to be sent to processing plants in the B.C. interior because believe it or not, TVs are toxic. Despite international laws designed to prevent this, many developed countries send e-waste overseas to Asia and Africa. Inspections of 18 European seaports in 2005 found as much as 47 % of waste destined for export, including e-waste, was illegal. It is important that you know that when you recycle your electronic waste at Island Return It, we never send product overseas for dismantling. We use only approved facilities in North America. Older TVs Present a Special Challenge In particular, older TVs with CRTs (cathode ray tubes) need to be handled...

06:15 / Community / Recycle Me
0 Likes
19 Nov

Well once again, here we are. The holiday season is upon us. This time of the year means different things to different people. It could be time with family, time off work (oh yeah!), or time to make a fresh start. But one thing is common to all traditions: the most wonderful time of the year can easily become the most wasteful time of the year! Don’t let it happen to you. This year, make a few simple changes to reduce your holiday waste. [caption id="attachment_490" align="alignright" width="231"] Christmas light bulbs (photo credit: Bubbels)[/caption] We all waste food at one time or another, but during the holidays this can increase by obscene amounts. This year, focus on the quality of the food you eat, not the quantity. Treat your loved ones to one decadently expensive box of chocolates instead of mountains of sugary, waxy junk. Make meals together from scratch to reduce the...

04:40 / Recycle Me
0 Likes
17 Oct

 School’s back in full swing (after a bumpy start), which also means it’s fundraising season again. Chocolates, anyone? Cookies? Magazines? Entertainment Books?!!  But what if you’re looking to make some money for your organization and save the planet at the same time? For this, nothing beats a good old fashioned bottle drive. Except, in order to make yours successful it might be time to do away with the “old fashioned” and bring your bottle drive into the 21st century!  Here are four steps to help make your bottle drive efficient, profitable, and fun: STEP ONE: ORGANIZE Form a small group of people willing to take initiative and delegate tasks to each person in the group. For example, have one person in charge of advertising, one person in charge of volunteer recruitment, and someone else in charge of sorting the collected containers. Choose a leader, having one point of contact will make the whole process...

01:27 / Community / Local / Recycle Me
3 Likes
21 Aug

It's official! Our Campbell River, Duncan and Esquimalt locations are now a part of the new MMBC program. Island Return It Recycling Centres can now accept Styrofoam products for responsible disposal, all depots with the exception of Salt Spring Island. This change has been brought about the new MMBC (Multi-Material British Columbia) program, which is a non-profit organization that holds manufacturers and distributors responsible for the disposal management of packaging and printed paper (PPP), similar to the program for recycling beverage containers or light bulbs. The Styrofoam aspect of this new program covers all the most widely used consumer products such as: 1- Foam Drink Cups 2- White & Coloured Meat Trays 3- Foam Packaging for Computers, Electronics & Appliances 4- Egg Cartons 5- Take Out Containers Products We Cannot Accept: - Packing Peanuts - Pool Noodles (Yes. This is tragic with summer just around the corner but don't worry, we've found some awesome ideas for re-purposing your older pool...

17:11 / Industry News / Recycle Me
0 Likes
21 May

  Once upon a time men and women would put the groceries away and without giving it another thought they would scrunch up the plastic bags and shove them into the garbage can. Sometimes, if they were particularly conscientious or on a budget they would reuse those grocery bags as trash can liners. Long term implications of non-biodegradable plastics in landfills wasn't a hot topic and it didn't occur to everyone that these bags might remain as unpleasant reminders of our rampant consumerism for future generations. Enter a new generation of consumers who noticed that decades later, plastic was still hanging around. In fact, it can take roughly 1000 years for a plastic non-biodegradable bag to break down. That's 500 years longer than a disposable diaper, by the way. Talk of recycling plastic and reusing bags soon starts to gain traction, but doesn't catch on as quickly as it should have. Use of...

22:43 / Industry News / Recycle Me
0 Likes