s far from uniform and has limited coverage. It is an immature business, with a relatively small number of companies across the country, but the numbers are growing. It is expected that the demand for this type of service will continue to grow as increasing quantities of IT waste enter the waste stream in future years. That said, there are already a number of IT equipment waste reuse and recycling companies across Canada. Most companies try to refurbish viable IT equipment where possible, as this generates the highest revenue per unit. Units which can not be repaired, upgraded or sold, are manually dismantled by most recycling companies, who sort the IT equipment into its various components (sometimes into 40 separate categories) in order to get the highest market price for high quality material streams such as wire, circuit boards, power bars, semi-precious and base metals, etc. There are also some automated computer recycling companies that provide secure destruction services for information contained on hard drives, that also recycle component materials. Many companies who recycle IT equipment also handle telecom equipment.9.0 CONCLUSIONSThis preliminary baseline study estimated that approximately 33,972 tons of IT waste were disposed in Canada in 2000. This number is expected to rise as IT technology continues to develop at its currently rapid pace, and IT equipment faces continuous redesign and shorter life spans. It is assumed that a significant amount of this waste is currently in storage, because people and businesses are unsure of what to do with it. Throughout Canada, both residential and commercial IT waste generators are willing to recycle or reuse this equipment, but do not know how to go about doing this. A directory of all the options available across the country would help considerably to increase recovery of this waste stream, as people are reluctant to dispose of equipment which cost a lot of money a few years ago. The...
