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Big or small, recycle them all

ElectroRecycle Summer Ambassadors promote more recycling of small household appliances and old power tools.
28876castlegarElectroRecycle
ElectroRecycle Ambassadors Stephen Morgan

Two ElectroRecycle Summer Ambassadors were in Castlegar on Thursday, Aug. 15 and paid a visit to the Bargain Bin to see first hand just how many small appliances and power tools get turned in for recycling.

ElectroRecycle has been around since 2011 and is the only government-approved, not-for-profit recycling program in B.C. for electrical appliances. A team of six employees are travelling across the province to raise awareness of the more than 120 drop off locations where over 300 such items can be recycled. Their mission is to also encourage further recycling of such items.

Bargain Bin owner Sheldon Radtke said about two stacked pallets of items get sent out from his store every month.

"The Battery Doctors, from Kelowna, pick up all the way from there to Fernie," said Krisandra Reid, one of the two summer recycling employees.

Reid's co-ambassador, Stephen Morgan, said it was nice to see the Bargain Bin doing everything they hope to see and more.a"Even the microwaves are stacked up correctly," laughed Morgan. "Stacking microwaves is an art form. We've seen it done a lot of different ways."

The microwaves are only one part of the process of ensuring these items stay out of landfills and go on to serve recycled as much as possible. Two "mega-bags" of small appliances were almost full, too, and loaded with shavers, coffeemakers, vacuums, toasters and more.

Have something larger? The Trail Bottle Depot at 562 Rossland Avenue in trail also accepts very large bench-top power tools, for example those with an integrated stand, and very large exercise machines like treadmills.

Like the oil ambassadors that were in the area recently, these ambassadors, and Radtke, wanted to stress that after-hours drop off of items is not okay.

"Last week, someone dumped a whole load of household junk and it cost me over $80 to get rid of it," he said. Radtke's time and ability to effectively handle the myriad of other items he recycles and sells at the Bargain Bin, is cut into when he has to dispose of items he doesn't accept. The Bargain Bin is located at 163 Columbia Avenue in Castlegar just down the street from the Castle Theatre and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

“The recycling message clearly resonates with British Columbians, which was evident from the positive response and province-wide support our Ambassador program received last year,” said Darrell Clarke, president, Canadian Electrical Stewardship Association, the organization that manages ElectroRecycle in a release. “We are thrilled to roll out the program again this year on an expanded scale. We have increased the number of Ambassadors this summer with the goal to connect with more communities to ultimately increase the number of small appliances and power tools being recycled in this province.”

To find out more about where to recycle your small appliances and power tools, visit electrorecycle.ca.

The Bargain Bin also accepts lights, paint, batteries and more. The store can be reached at (250) 365-7125 or email info@thebargainbin.ca.