Where can I recycle electronics in Vancouver?+
BC has a province-wide program called Recycle My Electronics (run by EPRA / ElectroRecycle) with drop-off depots across the Lower Mainland — Return-It Express locations, some London Drugs, and dedicated recycling depots. Metro Vancouver transfer stations also accept common items like TVs, monitors, and desktops. The full depot map is at recyclemyelectronics.ca. Drop-off is free for individuals for accepted items; commercial-volume drop-offs sometimes have a fee.
Is e-waste disposal free?+
For consumers, most e-waste is free to drop off at a registered depot because there's already an environmental handling fee (EHF) baked into the price of the electronics when they're sold new. That fee funds the recycling program. What isn't free is having someone come pick it up from your house — that's a haul service, not a recycling fee. When we quote e-waste pickup, we're charging for the visit, the labour, and the truck; we don't pass on a dump fee for accepted items because the depots take them at no charge.
Do you wipe data from old computers?+
Basic wiping (a single-pass drive erase or a factory reset) yes, on request and at no extra charge, if the device still boots. Certified data destruction with a wipe certificate, physical drive shredding, or an audited chain-of-custody is a specialist service — for that, we recommend a certified IT-asset disposition (ITAD) provider and can point you to one we've worked with. For sensitive personal data, the safest option is to pull the drive yourself before the machine leaves your building.
What counts as e-waste I should not put in the garbage?+
Anything with a plug, a rechargeable battery, or a screen. That includes TVs, monitors, computers, laptops, tablets, phones, printers, routers, small kitchen appliances (kettles, toasters, microwaves), power tools with lithium batteries, and cables. Batteries specifically are a fire hazard in curbside garbage trucks and need to go to a battery drop-off (Call2Recycle has depots across BC). Fluorescent tubes and CFL bulbs also don't belong in the garbage — they contain mercury and go to a LightRecycle depot.