Listen to this articleBelow is our recent interview with Chantelle Coddington, Senior Account Representative & Office Manager of Electronic Recycling Association:
Q: For those who haven’t heard of it, what is the best way to describe Electronic Recycling Association?
A: ERA is a non-profit organization that specializes in the reuse, donation and recycling of used electronic equipment. In short we offer pickup, data wiping, data destruction services & inventory services across Canada.
Q: How hard is it to recycle an electronic device?
A: To donate equipment for reuse or recycling is actually quite easy, you just give us a call and arrange a pickup or drop off and answer a few questions.
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Q: What happens with the devices we don’t recycle? How bad is it for our environment?
A: Electronic Equipment contains toxic materials like zinc, nickel, lead, barium and chromium, among other hazardous materials. When we improperly dispose of equipment, any toxins from the equipment seep into our ground water/other resources and effect the integrity of those resources as well as the atmosphere, people, animal & plant life.
This is why its important to use organizations like ERA so that these items go to charities, schools, non profits …etc. or are recycled properly instead of ending up in a landfill. When equipment is reused or recycled there is less impact on the environment because of less demand for new products or material. This positively impacts the energy and resources used to make them.
Q: I read somewhere that your work with a lot of charities across the country – is that correct?
A: Yes. ERA works with a lot of different types of entities. We act as a partner or donor to many Charities, Non-profits, Small businesses, Individuals, Organizations, Schools .. etc. and provide them with equipment to help with many different types of programs.
Q: Anyone can get involved, right?
A: Of course, we offer our services to business/organizations as well as individuals and even involve ourselves in community collections, fraud prevention events and Earth Month awareness.
Q: What are the benefits of volunteering with ERA?
A: Not only do you gain experience in labor, tech work or office administration but we also offer free equipment which includes anything that’s in our warehouse in exchange for your help for 24hrs.
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Q: What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your business and how did you overcome it?
A: Our biggest challenge we face daily is educating people from all walks of life on the different levels of recycling. Just because a lease term ended, just because something is too old, has a broken screen bad battery or suddenly doesn’t power on and for the current user his electronic equipment is ready for recycling that doesn’t actually mean it’s ready to be broken down into pieces and sent to a smelter. Reduce first then “Reuse” is where the ERA comes into play since thousands and thousands of people, businesses, shelters, charities, here in Canada can’t afford new IT equipment.
Don’t be ready to recycle your electronics, be ready to donate it to an organization who is ready to give your old equipment new life.
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