A big screen TV purchase is about to get a bit more expensive in Quebec as eco-fees kick in October 1, 2012 for electronics in the province.
Environmental handling fees (EHFs) or product stewardship fees are already commonplace in Canada, levied to help cover the cost for proper disposal or recycling of devices like smartphones, computers and portable audio devices.
Quebec’s Recovery and Reclamation of Products by Enterprises Regulation (R.R.Q., c.Q-2 r. 40.1), under the Environment Quality Act, took effect July 14, 2011. The regulation mandates industry-led collection and recycling of a range of electronic products in the province.
Quebec joins seven other Canadian provinces that charge EHFs to consumers, but Quebec’s will hit pocketbooks the hardest. The fees are built into the price tag on electronics items. For instance, a 29-inch TV, which averages about $300 in Quebec, will soon cost an additional $42.50 after the EHF is applied. In Ontario, the same TV would have an EHF of $25; in Alberta – just $10.80.
“…The final price ‘all-in’ must be shown and advertised,” says the Association pour le recyclage des produits electroniques du Quebec (ARPE-Quebec) in a June 2012 info bulletin about the new fee.
The ARPE-Quebec manages the program, identifies and certifies recyclers and processors of electronic waste, and funds drop-off centres where consumers and businesses can take their old electronics.
On July 14, 2012, Quebec started its program for the proper disposal and recycling of electronic waste.
"Consumers and businesses in Quebec enjoy the technological innovations that provide them with their electronic products, but they are just as likely to not know what to do with their old phones, televisions or computers," said Dominique Levesque, executive director of ARPE-Quebec.
The ARPE says it will:
- monitor key product variables including product delivery, weights and collection volumes to assist in future fee calculations
- undertake reviews of fee levels, fee calculations and methods consistent with industry practice
- maintain communication with stakeholders, including stewards and consumers, to help identify opportunities to further refine the EHF calculation methods.
EHFs in Quebec
Desktop Computers $7.50
Portable Computers $1.65
Computer Peripherals $1.25
Desktop Printers, Scanners, Fax Machines, Copiers $8.75
Floorstanding printers/copiers $42.50
Display Devices - 29" or smaller $12.25
Display Devices - 30" or larger $42.50
Cellular Telephones $0.10
Non-Cellular Telephones and Answering Machines $1.15
E-book readers $1.65
-------The following story originally appeared on EcoLog News on Sept. 21, 2012-------