Sony Canada expands recycling program to include all of its products to make it as easy to recycle Sony products as it is to purchase them.

TORONTO/CNW/ - Building on its commitment to the environment, Sony of Canada Ltd. announced today that beginning April 14th, it will expand its recycling efforts to collect all end-of-life Sony products. 

"Sony Canada's goal is to divert all Sony products from the landfill," said Doug Wilson, President & COO, Sony of Canada Ltd. "Sony Canada will offer its customers three new ways to return their Sony products for recycling."

1. ALL Sony products will be accepted for recycling, at no charge, at any of the 25 non-retail collection sites to be opened across Canada. These sites will accept all Sony products, including larger items like televisions and stereos (which cannot be collected at Sony Style retail stores).

A list of current collection sites is available at www.sony.ca/environment 

2. HANDHELD Sony electronics will be accepted for recycling, at no charge, at all 79 Sony Style retail stores across Canada. Handheld electronics include camcorders, cameras, Walkman personal stereos, PDAs, and cordless phones. Sony Style retail stores currently accept portable rechargeable batteries and cellular phones for recycling, and offer a notebook trade-in program.

To find a Sony Style retail store nearest you, visit www.sonystyle.ca 

3. ALL Sony products can be mailed in for recycling. Shipping costs are not covered by the program. 

To find out more about the mail-in program, visit www.sony.ca/environment

"We are proud to expand our recycling activities and continue the Sony tradition of leadership in environmental awareness and sustainability," said Wilson. "While we encourage all consumers to think of ways to re-use their products first, it is important to provide environmentally friendly ways to handle end-of-life Sony products." 

Sony is proud to partner with Global Electric Electronic Processing Inc. (GEEP) to expand its recycling program.

"All of the collected Sony products will be safely processed at our facilities through closed-loop procedures," said Alfred Hambsch, President and CEO of GEEP. "The processes we use will ensure the products are recycled in an environmentally responsible manner, resulting in maximum resource recovery with a zero landfill objective."               

Sony's expanded recycling program is a complement to existing and planned provincial stewardship programs across Canada. Sony is a founding member and active participant in the Electronics Product Stewardship Canada (EPSC) initiative. EPSC's mandate is to work with provincial governments to develop environmentally sustainable and economically efficient programs across Canada to collect and recycle end-of-life electronics. Through this initiative, Sony is working with industry partners and the Ontario government in the development of a waste diversion program for electronics. Sony's recycling program and the provincial program currently being reviewed by the Ontario government will work to provide Ontarians with more recycling options than ever before.

"Sony's recycling program is an excellent example of good corporate and environmental leadership," said Environment Minister John Gerretsen. "I congratulate the company for making it easy for consumers to return Sony products when they no longer need them. I expect this program will complement Ontario's upcoming electronic stewardship program and contribute to increased recycling opportunities for all Ontarians." 

"By expanding its recycling program, Sony continues to take a leadership role in helping to deal with the imposing environmental challenge of keeping end of life electronics out of landfill sites," said Jed Goldberg, President of Earth Day Canada.

Sony's environmental leadership role includes focusing on environmentally-conscious product design, recycling end-of-life products, fostering environmental education in youth, and environmental improvements at operations. For more information, visit www.sony.ca/environment.
  

On April 14th, 25 non-retail collection sites will be open in the following locations for the collection of ALL end-of-life Sony products:

                Alberta                    Ontario                   Quebec

                  - Calgary                  - Barrie                  - Montreal (x2)

                  - Edmonton                 - Brampton                - Quebec City

                ------------------------     - East Gwillimbury        - Sherbrooke

                British Columbia             - Kingston

                  - Coquitlam (x2)           - Markham

                  - Surrey                   - North Bay

                ------------------------     - Ottawa

                Manitoba                     - Owen Sound

                  - Winnipeg                 - Pickering

                ------------------------     - Toronto (x2)

                New Brunswick                - Whitby

                  - Moncton

                ------------------------

                Nova Scotia

                  - Elmsdale

                  - Dartmouth