CORNER BROOK, NL – Newfoundland and Labrador have officially joined the Recycle My Cell program, allowing consumers and businesses to safely and easily recycle their used wireless devices and accessories.
The program is operated by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), in conjunction with cell phone carriers, handset manufacturers and approved processors. Operating voluntarily in the province since 2009, the Recycle My Cell program has already recovered almost 22,000 wireless devices, including cell phones, smartphones, wireless PDAs, cell phone batteries and pagers.
With its new designation as a government-approved program, Recycle My Cell pledged to strengthen its commitment to the management of electronic waste in the province by building upon its current 41 permanent drop-off centres in 15 communities. The program will also increase outreach and engagement with communities across the province to increase device recovery and raise public awareness about the importance of ensuring that mobile devices and accessories are disposed of responsibly.
"We know that the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador want to ensure they do the right thing. We are calling on all of you to pull your old cell phones out of your drawers and recycle them," said CWTA President and CEO Bernard Lord, in Thursday’s announcement. "The Recycle My Cell program, which is completely free of environmental handling fees for consumers, makes cell phone recycling simple, convenient and accessible to all."
The program will also provide the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) with detailed reports that outline annual performance.
"MMSB recognizes the important environmental leadership role that industry plays in responsibly recycling and disposing of the products they produce," added MMSB CEO Mike Samson. "We are very pleased to work in partnership with the wireless telecommunications industry to ensure Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can continue to participate in the Recycle My Cell program and help divert waste from our landfills."
