Shift Recycling Diverting E-Waste for Several Hospitals Across Ontario

Over the last year Shift Recycling has been working with several hospitals throughout Toronto and the rest of Ontario to help divert their e-waste from landfill. Hospitals produce a large amount of e-waste annually and require an efficient and bespoke solution for handling these materials. 

Of tantamount importance to the proper diversion of electronic waste generated by hospitals is the proper handling of the sensitive data that could be contained therein on hard drives and other backup devices. It is crucial that an electronics recycler has the ability to destroy the data devices in line with the standards set out by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Shift Recycling is one of the few e-waste recyclers that is able to handle the capacity of e-waste generated by hospitals, provide tracking of e-waste, a certificate of recycling and a certificate of data destruction.  

Should you wish to arrange a free appointment to discuss a customized, e-waste recycling solution for your hospital or medical facility please call Shift Recycling at 416.995.4202 ext. 227 or email david@shiftrecycling.com.

E-Waste Photo of the Week:

Photo: The Toronto Star

A very proud Shannon McDonald pulls her wagon full of e-waste to a waste collection event in Oshawa this weekend. 

Ban on Western E-Waste Imminent

Photo: The Digital Journal

At a recent environmental conference in Cartagena, Colombia the United Nations came one step closer to declaring a ban on exporting Western e-waste to developing countries. Out of the 170 nations represented at the conference 50 have ratified an amendment to the Basel Convention which would restrict the export of e-waste to the developing world. 

The executive director of the Basel Action Network, Jim Puckett reported in the New Zealand Herald, "I've been working on this since 1989 and it really does look like the shackles are lifted and we'll see this thing happen in my lifetime...I'm ecstatic."

Indeed this is a major success and a great step forward for the global fight against e-waste. 

Does your company have an e-waste recycling solution? Shift can help. Call us at 416.995.4202 or visit our website to schedule a pick up at www.shiftrecycling.com.

E-Waste Photo of the Day: Circuit Boards

Mercury is contained in computer circuit boards, which also include lead and cadmium. Circuit boards can also feature batteries made of mercury, as well as mercury switches. All very hazardous materials.

Please ensure that you are properly and ethically recycling your electronics. Shift Recycling can help. Call 416.995.4202 ext. 227.

http://www.shiftrecycling.com/

Photo of the Day: OES Mobile Recycling Centre

Apart from partnering with local electronics recyclers like Shift the Ontario Electronics Stewardship (OES) also operates mobile recycling centres like the one seen here.

E-Waste Photo of the Day: Cell Phones

Whilst cell phones don't carry as much hazardous materials as larger electronic devices they have a significantly shorter shelf-life at about one and half years for your average consumer. It is estimated that there are over 500 million used cell phones ready for recycling.

Cell phones consists of several hazardous materials such as lead, cadmium and lithium all of which pose serious health and safety threats.

Poll: 1 in 5 Companies in the U.K. Don't Know If They're Illegally Disposing of E-Waste

According to a recent survey conducted by charity organization Computer Aid many IT Managers in the U.K. today are uncertain as to the final destination of the electronics they dispose of.

The 100 respondents disposed of over 500 computers annually on average and only 65 listed themselves as "confident" or "very confident" that their electronic waste avoided being sent to landfill. A further 13 were completely unaware of the Euro zone regulations pertaining to the appropriate disposal of electronics.

Only 14 percent of respondents followed what Computer Aid has dubbed "best practices in IT disposal" meaning that they send all working units to be reused and the remainder to be recycled.

It's deeply concerning that such a small percentage of companies in Europe, where strict e-waste recycling policies exist have taken this problem seriously. It's fairly safe to assume that the problem is much worse in North America where regulations are more lax.

Does your company have a solution for ensuring that your electronic waste is properly recycled? Call Shift Recycling to discuss free pickups of commercial e-waste in the Greater Toronto Area: (416) 823-4411 ext. 227.

Shift Recycling Inc.

145 Fenmar Drive

Toronto, Ontario

www.shiftrecycling.com

E-Waste Photo of the Day: System Failure

Today's photo comes to us from the Environmental Investigation Agency.

Photo of the Day: E-Waste Drive Results

You would be surprised how much electronic waste is generated by hosting an e-waste collection drive in your community. This is an excellent way to not only help tackle the E-Waste problem but also to raise funds for a specific cause or event. 

Looking for fundraising ideas in the Greater Toronto Area? Shift Recycling regularly conducts e-waste drives in partnership with churches and charities across the GTA. Shift Recycling will spend as much time as necessary with your organization to appropriately plan, market and execute your e-waste collection drive to ensure success. Each of our partner organizations is provided with a bespoke solution. The average amount of e-waste generated at a collection event is over 10,000 pounds which translates into approximately $1500 towards the cause of your choice.

To read a review of a past collection event hosted by Shift please click here. Should you wish to learn more about how Shift Recycling can help you organize an e-waste collection drive in your community please call (416) 995-4202 ext. 227 or visit our website at http://www.shiftrecycling.com/.

Kudos: Which Corporations Are Leading the Charge in Tackling the E-Waste Problem?

With fairly lax legislation in place regarding appropriate disposal of electronics in the U.S. some corporations have decided to take matters into their own hands to limit their share of the blame and help improve the environment and their corporate image.

Panasonic announced this week that they will be joining forces with a logistics company to manage the electronics company's e-waste in order to bring themselves inline with Europes e-waste regulations under the WEEE Directive.

Earlier this year Sharp, Toshiba, UPS, Dell and Staples likewise formed various partnerships to start taking responsible action against this growing, global concern. These organization are leading the charge for sustainability and deserve credit for that, however until these practices become standard for call companies there is still much work to be done before we can adequately reduce our global carbon footprint.

If you would like to learn about how Shift Recycling can provide a bespoke solution for assisting your business in addressing the e-waste issue please visit http://www.shiftrecycling.com/.

Photo of the Day: Melting Pot

Here we see a scavenger in Guiyu melting down toxic electronic waste to obtain the precious metals contained within.

E-Waste Pick-Ups in Markham - October 4th, 2011...Call to Schedule Yours!

E-Waste Photo of the Day: China's Electronic Waste Village

Photo: Time Magazine

Despite the fact that an excessively high number of the children in Guiyu, China have been diagnosed with lead poisoning the e-waste business continues to thrive.

Shift Recycling to Attend 2011 E-Scrap Conference in Orlando

In our ongoing effort to keep abreast of the latest developments, initiatives and technology in the e-waste world, Shift Recycling will be sending representatives to attend this year's E-Scrap Conference in Orlando, Florida on October 5-6. The E-Scrap Conference is North America's premier electronics recycling conference. Our representatives will be attending Q&A sessions with keynote speakers from within the e-waste industry as well as meeting with various vendors who will be showcasing the latest innovations and service offerings.

Our representatives look forward to gleaning further industry expertise that will aid us in raising awareness and tackling this problem locally.

We hope to see you there!

Shift Recycling Inc.,

145 Fenmar Drive, Toronto

http://www.shiftrecycling.com/

The Story of Electronics

E-Waste Photo of the Day: Contraband

Photo by Peter Essick - National Geographic

A customs agent in Hong Kong reviews and x-ray of an illegal shipment of monitors. Although China has banned the import of e-waste illegal shipments still pour into the country and the overflow has been diverted to other developing countries.

E-Waste Photo of the Day: Computer Graveyard in Ghana

Credit: Pieter Hugo for The New York Times

In a slum in Accra, the capital of Ghana adults and children alike rummage through computers shipped from overseas to get at the precious metals inside. When Greenpeace sampled the soil here in 2008 they found found high levels of lead, cadmium, antimony, PCBs 
and chlorinated dioxins.

Shift Recycling Coming to Mississauga - September 27-28, 2011. Schedule Your Free Pickup Now!

Do you have old, obsolete electronics cluttering up your garage, basement or warehouse and are unsure how to properly dispose of them? Shift Recycling Inc. will be doing free pickups of e-waste in the Mississauga area this coming September 27th and 28th. To schedule your pickup please click here.

E-Waste Photo of the Day: CRT's

Cathode Ray Tube TV's or CRT's contain high concentrations of lead, phosphors and cadmium and are considered by the EPA to be hazardous household waste. Even in developed countries they are one of the most difficult items to recycle as a great deal of care must be taken to ensure that workers and communities are not exposed to the dangerous materials they contain. Recently they have become one of the most common items to be disposed of as most people upgrade to new flat panel televisions.

Do you have a big, old TV that you need to get rid of? Please call Shift Recycling at 416.995.4202 ext. 2227 to arrange a pick up.

Shift Recycling Inc.,

145 Fenmar Drive

Toronto, Ontario

http://www.shiftrecycling.com/

The Basel Convention & the United States

With the amount of electronics collected for recycling growing considerably year over year and an estimated 80% of American e-waste being exported to less developed countries (LDCs) rather than being properly and ethically recycled one can't help but ask why the United States has yet to ratify the Basel Convention in order to curtail the outward flow of these hazardous materials.

 The Basel Convention was enacted in 1992 and with it's 51 signatory nations is in place to stem the movement of hazardous waste between nations; or more specifically to prevent the export of hazardous waste from developed nations to LDC's. Not surprisingly the focus of the Parties of the Basel Agreement has shifted largely in recent years to the e-waste problem. Notwithstanding some major loopholes in the Conventions conditions which still permit massive quantities of e-waste to reach party countries and relies on the signatories to police the problem themselves the Basel Convention has enjoyed considerable success in keeping the movement of toxic waste in check. 

With the United States being one of the largest producers of e-waste worldwide and with the amount of waste produced set to double every 5 years if present trends continue the U.S. is certainly the most notable non-party to the Convention. It is estimated that 50-80% of U.S. e-waste is exported to LDC's which, while unfortunate is unsurprising since the Environmental Protection Agency has claimed that exporting waste is 10 times cheaper than properly recycling it. 

As more and more stories come to light from the developing world about the very real effects this type of waste is having on the local population this will not be an issue that can be swept under the rug much longer. It is imperative that the United States take responsibility for it's waste and stops dumping it in the backyards of the less fortunate. 

E-Waste Photo of the Day: Intolerable Beauty

Todays photo was taken by American photographer, Chris Jordan and is part of his collection Intolerable Beauty: Portraits of American Mass Consumption (2003-2005). Few images convey the size and scope of the e-waste problem so succinctly.

E-Waste Photo of the Day

Workers pick through wires torn out of illegally exported computers. (Basel Action Network 2006)

Shift Recycling Hosts E-Waste Collection Event @ Woburn Collegiate Institute

Woburn to Kenya

Shift Recycling is pleased to announce that we recently hosted a successful e-waste collection drive in support of a student group from Woburn Collegiate Institute in East Toronto called Woburn to Kenya. These students took up the very noble cause of raising funds in order to travel to Kenya to assist in the building of a school for local children. Having marketed the event through various local channels Woburn to Kenya was able to collect nearly 10,000 pounds of electronic waste from the community; generating over $1200 for their cause in just two days. Shift Recycling is proud to have been part of this initiative and wishes to thank all those who came out to support this cause by donating their old electronics.

Shift has hosted e-waste collection/fundraising events with various charities, churches and schools throughout the Greater Toronto Area. These organizations have found that our e-waste collection/fundraising events are a great opportunity to help address the e-waste problem and raise funds and awareness for a cause at the same time. Shift Recycling has the knowledge, expertise and experience to plan, market and implement an e-waste collection/fundraising event on your behalf and will spend time with you to tailor the event to your specific needs and target audience.

If you'd like to learn more about what Shift Recycling can do to promote your local charity or cause please visit our website at http://www.shiftrecycling.com/?q=contact or call 416.995.4202 x.227 to arrange a meeting.

Shift Recycling Inc.

145 Fenmar Drive,

Toronto, ON

416.995.4202

http://www.shiftrecycling.com/

Why Your Company MUST Have an E-Waste Recycling Solution

Here at Shift Recycling we take the problem of electronic waste (e-waste) disposal very seriously and so should you. E-waste is the fastest growing type of waste and now constitutes 5 percent of all municipal solid waste worldwide. Due to the toxic chemicals and heavy metals contained in electronics it is imperative that these materials are properly disposed of. Sadly the vast majority of e-waste ends up being shipped, often illegally to developing countries where unskilled workers put themselves at risk to extract the valuable materials within these products. 

Whilst many businesses today are unaware of or unconcerned with the growing threat that e-waste poses to the environment and the citizens of the developing world they will not be able to be apathetic to this problem much longer. As community awareness grows through the initiatives of environmental organizations such as the Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) people will begin looking to their local businesses to determine their solution for tackling this issue. 

Shift Recycling has taken a multi-faceted approach to dealing with the issue of e-waste by offering pick-ups throughout the Greater Toronto Area (usually free of charge) to both individuals and businesses as well as conducting community collection events which raise funds for local charities. These efforts not only help the environment but also enhance the image of these organizations. 

To find out how we can assist your company, church or charity please contact David McGregor @ 416.995.4202 x.227 or email to david@shiftrecycling.com

Shift Recycling

145 Fenmar Drive

Toronto, ON

http://www.shiftrecycling.com/