The Environmental Handling Fee (EHF) charged to a variety of new electronics purchased in Quebec. Quebec will join 7 other provinces which currently charge an environmental handling fee for safe disposal of electronic items. The EHF is included in the price of the electronic item and will not be added on at the cash.

What is an environmental handling fee?: An environmental handling fee is indicated on receipts for electronic purchases as an “EHF” with an associated cost. The fee covers the cost of recovering and recycling or processing that electronic once it reaches its end of life. The money goes to the Association pour le recyclage des produits electronique du Quebec (ARPE) which manages the program, identifies and certifies recyclers and processors of electronic waste, as well as funding drop-off centres where consumers and businesses can take their old electronics. The environmental handling fee will vary by product. The fee is meant to reflect the true cost of disposing the product.

Here is a link to a breakdown of the handling fee charged by electronic:

Environmental Handling Fee (EHF)

Where electronic items can be dropped off: There are several municipalities within Quebec that already operate drop-off centres for old electronics. These will continue to exist, but will now be funded by the ARPE. There is no charge for dropping off old electronics. Keeping them out of landfill is very important, however, given that there are many valuable metals within electronics that can be extracted and reused, as well as toxic materials that should not leach into the ground. Recycling is the most reponsible method of disposing of electronic devices.

In addition to municipalities already participating in e-waste recycling, Bureau en Gros (Staples outside of Quebec) also has drop-off depots for old electronics.

All e-waste is then collected and sent to certified recyclers and processors for recovery.

For a list of depots and municipalities that participate in e-waste collection in Quebec, see this page on the ARPE site.

To find a list of depots and municipalities in other provinces, visit the EPRA homepage (Electronic Products Recycling Association) to find your province, items accepted for recycling and depots where you can drop them off.

What kinds of electronic and electrical devices can be recycled?: Below is a list of products that can currently accepted for safe disposal and recycling in Quebec. Hopefully the list will grow as the program becomes more established. (source)

What Can I Recycle (in Quebec)?

Portable Computers

  • Laptop computer
  • Notebook computer
  • Tablet computer
  • Netbook computer
  • E-book readers

Desktop Computer

  • Computer terminal
  • Desktop computer used as a server
  • Thin client or Net top Computers

Display Devices

  • Television
  • Computer monitor
  • Professional display
  • Closed circuit monitor screen
  • TV with built-in DVD and/or VCR player/recorder
  • All in one computer

Printers, Scanners and Fax Machines

  • Desktop printers
  • Desktop scanners
  • Desktop MFDs
  • Camera dock printers
  • Desktop business card scanners
  • Desktop cheque scanners
  • Desktop computer scanners
  • Desktop fax machines
  • Desktop label, barcode, card printers
  • Desktop photo negative scanner

Floor standing Print, Copy, Fax and Multi-Functions Product

  • Floor standing printers
  • Floor standing scanners
  • Floor standing MFDs
  • Floor standing fax machine drum scanners
  • Floor standing fax machine photocopiers
  • Floor standing fax machines

Computer Peripherals

  • Mouse
  • Trackball
  • Keyboard
  • Keypad
  • Cables
  • Connectors
  • Chargers
  • Remotes

NON-Cellular Phones and Answering Machines

  • Telephones (corded and cordless, VoIP, satellite phones)
  • Telephone line answering machines (cassette and digital)
  • Speaker/Conference phone

Cellular devices and Pagers

  • Cellular phones, including those offering camera, video recording and/or audio functions
  • Smart phones (cell-enabled)
  • Palmtop computers (cell-enabled)
  • Cell-enabled PDAs utilizing touch-screen technology
  • Cell-enabled handheld devices
  • Pagers
The e-waste collection programs vary significantly from province to province. British Columbia’s is the most advanced, charging handling fees on almost any computer, small appliance or electronic, but it also accepts almost all electrical devices for recycling.
BEC Green

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