In the hopes of finding out what exactly happens to e-waste, The Cornwall Journal was given a tour of the local FCM Recycling facility.
Giving a second life to electronics
of March all the way to April 2, and that sees several hundreds of electronic waste material collected from throughout the city. “We’re going to organize a pick-up day,” he said, sipping on a cup of coffee. “I’ll be going around Cornwall picking up electronics that we will in turn get recycled.” The drive not only makes sure the material is recycled in a careful and sustainable manner; it also procures the Green Team with funding. This in turn leads the organization to spearhead other environmentally friendly projects. Referred to as e-waste, electronics contain many valuable, recoverable materials such as aluminum, copper, gold, silver, plastics, and ferrous metals. In order to conserve natural resources and the energy needed to produce new electronic equipment from virgin resources, electronic equipment can be refurbished, reused, and recycled instead of being sent to a landfill centre. In an effort at enhancing their drive, the Green Team partnered with Lafleche Environmental Inc. and the Ontario Electric
Stewardship. The latter is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization that operates the regulated recycling program in Ontario. In their first semester, students are taught the concepts of sustainability through a core course in the Environmental Technician program. In that course, the students are asked to design a term project that encompasses the ideas behind sustainability. The current Erase E-Waste drive is a direct result of that project. Following on last year’s successful drive, the students have grown the project to its current format. But how exactly are old cell phones and laptops recycled? Within the walls of the massive FCM building, located at 2900 Loyalist Avenue in Cornwall, echoes a popular song. The music serves not only to minimize the constant screeching and clonking noises but also to occupy the 33 employees in the 8000 square foot recycling plant. FCMoperates each one of its five recycling Recycling electronics: more work than you might think
facilities across Canada in complete compliance with industry standards set forth in the Canadian Recycler Qualification Program. In the hopes of learning where discarded electronics end up and how they are recycled, The Cornwall Journal was recently granted a tour of the facility. In order to do so, one must wear a safety hat, a coat and a pair of steel toe boots. But one quick glance at the contents of the giant building reveals that the safety precautions aren’t exaggerated. Giant boxes, called Gaylords, are full of various materials such as computers, wooden speakers, laptops, printers and, of course, televisions. “We get so many televisions,” said Dolor Hubert, manager for the Cornwall recycling giant plant. “We don’t do the shredding here. It’s sent to Quebec for that. The things we deal with are pretty raw.” The tour begins in the loading dock area. As themanager points to several giant doors he stresses that organisation is key when running such a massive facility.
FRANCIS RACINE francis.racine@eap.on.ca
“They are the fastest growing type of municipal solid waste stream.” The words echoed through the apartment where St. Lawrence College (SLC) Green Team president Jared Baker was being interviewed. “Electronic waste is very toxic. Some contain mercury, lead or cadmium that seeps into our water sources and the plastic, that is often burned, is horrible for the ozone layer.” Unfortunately for the student-led organisation, which promotes green initiatives with the purpose of raising environmental awareness, the launch of their main event, the Erase E-Waste, had to be cancelled. Organized for March 2, Mother Naturemade it a point to pummel the town with inches of snow and some ice, for good measure. But Baker is still quite optimistic about the drive that takes place from the beginning
Le Journal, Cornwall
2
Le mercredi 9 mars 2016
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