What is e-waste?
E-waste is discarded electrical and electronic equipment containing materials like lead, mercury, and copper that cannot be disposed of in standard landfills or curbside pickup.
Electronic waste, or e-waste, covers any broken, outdated, or unwanted electrical and electronic equipment: televisions, computers, monitors, printers, phones, microwaves, and power tools. These items contain toxic substances such as lead in solder, mercury in screens, and cadmium in batteries, along with valuable materials like copper and gold.
Ontario's waste regulations prohibit e-waste from municipal landfills and regular garbage collection. This ban exists because heavy metals and hazardous chemicals leach into soil and groundwater when equipment breaks down in the environment. As a result, junk removal services operating in the province separate electronics during collection and send them to certified e-waste recyclers rather than standard disposal routes.
Designated recycling facilities in Ontario process e-waste by extracting and safely handling hazardous materials, recovering reusable components, and shredding remaining materials for metal recovery. This keeps toxins out of the waste stream and recovers resources that would otherwise be lost. Most eco-friendly disposal services in Ontario include e-waste handling as part of their pickup and sorting process, ensuring compliance with provincial regulations. Households and businesses should set electronics aside separately when booking junk removal, as mixing e-waste with general refuse can result in improper handling and regulatory violations.