Prince George, B.C. –  It’s International Recycling Day, and to mark the occasion, the Electronic Products Recycling Association of British Columbia (EPRA BC) is challenging residents to recycle any old electronics they may have collecting dust.

According to polling, EPRA BC says 83 per cent of adult British Columbians have at least one unwanted electronic item in their home, but only 44 per cent of residents have taken an old e-device to a Return-It facility or other approved EPRA drop-off location over the past year.

“The vast majority of British Columbians have old electronics collecting dust at home, so we’re issuing a friendly challenge to take them to a drop-off location,” says Craig Wisehart, EPRA BC’s executive director. “Our job is to make electronics recycling as safe, secure and convenient as possible. We now have more than 220 depots throughout the province, so most people live within 30 minutes of an approved drop-off location.”

EPRA BC is celebrating its 10^th year of electronics recycling and says during that time its safely diverted 180,000 metric tonnes of e-waste from landfills.

To put that into perspective, Wisehart says 180,000 metric tonnes is roughly equivalent to the weight of 2.2 million people.

He also estimates over 3 million electronic devices are safely recycled each year and that 4.6 kilograms of electronics were recycled per person in 2015 in B.C.

“Awareness for our program is high, but we still have work to do in terms of getting British Columbians to recycle their obsolete devices. We need to convert t that awareness into action,” adds Wisehart.

To find a collection depot closest to you click here.