LaSalle residents will have a chance to clear out some old electronics this week. The town is hosting a free e-waste collection drive at the LaSalle Civic Centre in partnership with Quantum Lifecycle Partners from Wednesday, Nov. 4 to Saturday, Nov. 7. Accepted items include computers, printers, cellphones, televisions, monitors, audio and video equipment, networking equipment and cables. The event will help collect unused or broken items and keep them out of the landfill. Tanay Seludkar, Manager of End-of-Life Recycling at Quantum Lifecycle Partners, says LaSalle was identified as an underserved area when it comes to access to electronics recycling. “We determine where there are gaps for electronics collection within the province of Ontario. So in order to fill this accessibility gap, the regulation states that it can either be a permanent drop-off spot or what we do in LaSalle, which is an annual e-waste collection event.” He says residents can bring in a wide range of unwanted electronics. “Anything that would basically have a plug or cord for the most part, we are okay with accepting. Everything from TVs, old CRTs, monitors, anything essentially with a plug or a battery that isn’t considered a hazardous waste.” Seludkar says the electronics are then taken to a recycling facility in Toronto, sorted, and then put through a shredder system. “Quantum is one of the first recyclers in Canada to have a plastic recycling system at the end of our e-waste line. So we basically end up with a bunch of metals that can be refined for value, so gold, platinum, silver, stuff like that.“ The event runs Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon. Residents are reminded to erase any personal information from their devices before dropping them off. The collection is free and open to LaSalle residents.
