Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Northwest Territories joined Canada-wide efforts to recycle end-of-life electronics with the launch of the new Electronics Recycling Program on February 1st. Electronics can contain hazardous chemicals and heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, and mercury. These chemicals and metals can make their way into our environment if we do not properly manage the disposal of our old electronics. This new program is integral to leading environmental stewardship in the Northwest Territories, a priority of this Legislative Assembly. Old electronics will be collected at the bottle depots in our ten largest communities and one-day collection events will be held in other communities within the next year and then every two years thereafter. This program has been in the works for some time. In 2008, members of the public identified electronics recycling as one of the top three priorities for the government’s waste reduction and recycling program.
In September 2013, an electronics recycling program was launched in four Northwest Territories communities. Last year, stakeholders were also consulted for their views on the program. The program is designed to be revenue-neutral, which means it will pay for itself through the collection of environmental fees charged on new electronic and surplus in the Environment Fund. Fees are charged on designated electronics, including televisions, desktops and portable computers, tablets, printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and scanners at the point of purchase. There is no refund on electronics returning for recycling. The program has been designed to ensure a level playing field for all electronics distributors and retailers, including online sales. All distributors and retailers will be subject to on-site compliance reviews. Cost-savings have been found by using the depots, transportation systems, and processing already in place for beverage container recycling. The electronic waste will be shipped to a registered electronics recycling facility in Alberta to ensure environmental health and safety standards. During the next year, we will work with local electronic retailers to identify any issues of compliance and make improvements to the program. Environmental handling fees will also be reviewed following the first year of operation. Expansion of the program to include a more comprehensive list of electronics will be explored during the next two years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.
