Prince Edward Island Expands E-Waste Program
April 2nd, 2019
On 23 March 2019, Prince Edward Island published an amendment to the Environmental Protection Act Materials Stewardship and Recycling Regulations. The amendment expands the scope of products listed under the definition of electronic product. The Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA) has advised that the following products will fall in scope of the regulations from 1 August 2019:
· external storage drives and modems
· electronic readers
· video gaming devices and peripherals
· global positioning systems or navigation systems
· counter-top microwave ovens
· floor-standing printers, copiers and units that combine printing, copying, scanning and other functions
What does this mean for you?
From 1 August 2019, if you are a producer placing any of the above electrical and electronic products onto the market in Prince Edward Island, you will need to ensure that you are part of a product management program approved by the Government of Prince Edward Island. Companies selling regulated electronic products can meet their obligations by joining the EPRA. If you are already a member of the EPRA in Prince Edward Island, and you place any of the new products in scope from the list above onto the market, you will need to start reporting sales of these products to EPRA from 1 August 2019.
EC4P can identify whether you are obligated under the Solid Waste-Resource Management Regulation based on the types of products you sell and your sales arrangements in this province. If you require assistance with meeting the e-waste requirements in Prince Edward Island, please contact us.
Outlook on Canadian E-Waste Laws
Recently Nova Scotia announced similar additions to the scope of its Solid Waste-Resource Management Regulation, applicable from 1 January 2010 (please see our news item). It is likely that other provinces may also expand the scope of their regulations.
As Ontario winds up its Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Program, the Steward Environmental Handling Fee (EHF) has been set to $0 effective 1 February 2019. The Ontario electronics recycling program operated by Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) will end on 30 June 2020 and to be replaced by an individual producer responsibility (IPR) system. Producers will be able to individually collect and recycle products and packaging, or contract with producer responsibility organisations (PROs) to meet their requirements.