Recycling of Lightbulbs

The Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre (OVWRC) is thrilled to announce an expansion of the variety of light bulbs that residents can divert from landfills, thanks to the Provincial Extended Producer Responsibility Program (EPR).

Starting from January 1, 2023, the Ontario Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulation (EEE Regulation) will impose new obligations on producers of lighting products in Ontario. These producers are now required to collect and recycle lighting products at their end-of-life. Introducing the Ontario Lighting Program, this regulation will establish a province-wide collection system for all obligated lighting products under the EEE Regulation.

So, what does this mean for the residents served by the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre? Well, residents will now have the opportunity to drop off additional types of light bulbs at the Centre's Household Hazardous Waste Depot or during the Centre's two Environmental Days in May and June.

Accepted lighting includes fluorescent tubes in all shapes and sizes, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), high intensity discharge (HID) bulbs, halogen bulbs, incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs, miniature LED bulbs, and more. However, please note that light fixtures and string lights are not accepted.

"We are delighted that we can now divert more materials from our landfill and recycle them through the newly implemented Provincial light recycling program," states Sue McCrae, General Manager at the Waste Recovery Centre. She adds, "We were already accepting fluorescent bulbs and tubes, so expanding our acceptance to include other types of bulbs came at no extra cost to our operations."

The funding of this program is derived from the Environmental Handling Fees (EHFs), which are paid by producers of obligated lighting products. The collected lighting will be transported by an approved transporter to an approved recycling facility, where they will be appropriately recycled. Additionally, the Centre will receive payment to cover the expenses associated with handling the obligated lighting materials.

"It's always great news when we can add items to the list of things that no longer need to be disposed of as garbage," says Steve Bennett, Laurentian Valley Mayor and Chair of the Ottawa Valley Waste Management Board. He further adds, "Municipalities are pleased to witness the continuous growth of Extended Producer Responsibility programs throughout the Province."

Residents of the Town of Petawawa, the City of Pembroke, the Township of Laurentian Valley, and the Township of North Algona Wilberforce can drop off acceptable lighting materials at the Centre's Household Hazardous Waste Depot on Woito Station Road throughout the year, free of charge during regular operating hours. Additionally, acceptable lighting can also be dropped off during the Petawawa Environmental Day on May 13 or the Pembroke Environmental Day on June 3.

For more information on the Provincial light recycling program, please visit www.productcare.org.

To find out more about light bulb recycling at the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre, please visit https://ovwrc.com/light-recycling-program/..