Direct2Dell

This is great to see how responsible and reasonable the people of America are.

You wouldnt beleive what is happening in Canada.

For example in British Columbia, we daily melt down 1000's of computers, monitors and laptops without anyone checking if they are still working or not.

According to the people that run the program, not even 1 power cord they have received is reusable, out of the some 100,000 computers they have melted down already. We find that a little hard to beleive. Here is more info, I am really looking for some help to resolve this issue.

I am looking for comments from Dell users and people in BC, Canada on this issue. The BC Government has setup a recycling program, and put it into private hands. Now 1000's of computers and laptops are melted down under the pretense or recycling and being green. 

Supposedly not even 1 power cords is reusable, not to mention not even 1 laptop or computer.???

Read more :

January 26, 2009

Barry Penner

Minister of the Environment

Parliament Buildings

Victoria, BC, V8V 1X4

Dear Mr. Barry Penner,

I sincerely appreciate your letter in response to me. Unfortunately the letter does not address the issues I have outlined in a satisfactory manner.

Firstly, you talk about their legislative obligation to “reuse” first prior to recycling, and that it is mandatory to reuse material prior to recycling. I am convinced and 100% certain that is not taking place. I invite you to jointly tour Encorp’s warehouse where thousands of computers are stored, Teck smelter, and a few of the busiest bottle depots, so I can personally show you the useful and working computers and components which are getting melted down unnecessarily.  Items such as power cords, printer cords, network cables that are never too old and can always be reused, on top of hundreds of laptops and computers.

I am very disappointed that you didn’t invite me for the tour with you, and that you didn’t visit the Encorp warehouse where the goods are stored prior to being shipped to the 3 recyclers (1 of which is Ecycle, the smallest of the 3). I hereby invite you to come and visit Encorp warehouse, Teck and a couple bottle depots together so I can personally show you the breaches in the legislation.

In regards to the Western Canada Computer Industry Association, they have been greatly discredited for shipping items to China, due to their inability to pay for the work their recyclers do, so they are forced to do the only profitable thing. This is all also due to Encorp’s “monopoly” and their “we own it all“ attitude when it comes to this program. I blame them for material going to China 100% as they are unwilling to even pay us the collection fee that every bottle depot and Salvation Army receives. For example if ERA ships 100 tons per month to Encorp, we get $0. If our next door bottle depot ships the same 100 tons they get $20,000.

This type of behavior and monopolistic practices are forcing companies in our industry to ship material to China where at least they are willing to pay for it, and therefore Encorp has to be held responsible for that. ERA has already shipped over 200 tons to Encorp, more than any bottle depot or collection depot Encorp has setup, and ERA has received $0 for its efforts, and Encorp has even refused to provide services to us, on top of warning our neighborhood bottle depot, that if they share any of the recycling revenues with ERA, they will get shut down.

These are very serious issues that need to be addressed immediately. Encorp cannot be allowed to break its legislative obligations by not reusing material; it cannot be allowed to punish companies that reuse material, while financially rewarding bottle depots and other collection depots that do NOT reuse material.

As you can see this is a serious contradiction of the legislative obligation they have to you, me and every resident of British Columbia.

ERA is attempting to implement a real reuse system within this electronics recycling program, which brings me to the next issue.

You talk about Recycling Council of BC, and ESABC creating a website to promote reuse?  Can you honestly tell me that you consider this good enough? Have you seen the website? It has 2 postings; 1 old monitor and 1 old keyboard. I can’t believe that in the entire province there are only 2 reusable items. The Recycling Council also does not allow nonprofit organizations or any computer stores to post their ads on there that they wish to receive these items. The Recycling Council receives huge financial contributions from Encorp and it is my personal opinion and knowledge that they are purposely denying the public of BC and ERA and similar organizations the opportunity to receive these computers.

I have called the Recycle hotline to be told the only place to take my computer is a bottle depot.  The Recycling Council receives too much money from Encorp to be entrusted with a task of reuse which goes directly against the best interests of the “Industry led program” and the directors of this “ESABC”

I ask of you, sincerely and with the best intentions in mind, to please meet with me personally to discuss these grave issues that I have outlined above,

Bojan Paduh

Electronic Recycling Association

(604) 215 4483

www.era.ca