Budweiser Gardens recently hosted a unique E-Waste & Shred Day in collaboration with Waste Connections of Canada, allowing residents to safely dispose of outdated gadgets, including laptops, VCRs, and computers. The primary aim was to keep these devices out of landfills and recycle their precious contents. In addition to technology recycling, the event featured safe document shredding on-site, enabling people to bring in personal records for secure disposal.
This initiative simplified the environmentally responsible disposal of both papers and devices. “The importance of recycling electronics is primarily to keep materials out of landfills,” explained the sustainability manager. “We ensure diversion away from landfills, allowing us to recycle that material. There’s a lot of reusable material in all electronics.”
The community response was mostly positive, with several people expressing satisfaction with the ability to dispose of unwanted goods safely. “They think it’s a great thing for us to do, and they’ve been thrilled to stop by and drop off their electronics,” the manager said.
The event was consistent with Budweiser Gardens’ broader goals for sustainable development, which aimed to reduce waste and minimize the environmental effect. “As a sustainability manager, it’s important for me to focus on reducing our carbon footprint and diverting as much as possible from landfills during large community events,” the manager said.
While there were no changes to the types of gadgets accepted this year, the manager did discuss future plans, which could include battery recycling. The program received major community support, and there are plans to expand it next year. The event is expected to be held on an annual basis, with more services being considered in the future.
The most common gadgets dropped off were outdated VCRs, computers, and laptops—anything with a motor or tiny circuit boards. Lithium-ion batteries are currently not recognized, however there is hope that they will be included in the future.
E-Waste & Shred Day was a successful event that helped to green the neighbourhood and develop an environmentally friendly society.
