various sizes and types of lightbubs
February 22, 2023 Uncategorized No Comments

The Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre (OVWRC) is pleased to announce that through a Provincial Extended Producer Responsibility Program (EPR), the types of light bulbs that residents can keep out of landfill is expanding.

Beginning January 1, 2023, under the Ontario Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulation (EEE Regulation), there is new requirements for producers of obligated lighting products in Ontario to collect and recycle lighting products at their end-of-life. Called the Ontario Lighting Program, the regulation establishes a province-wide collection system for all types of lighting obligated under the EEE Regulation.

What does this mean for residents serviced by the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre?  Residents will now be able to drop-off additional light bulbs at the Centre’s Household Hazardous Waste Depot or at one of the Centre’s two Environmental Days held in May and June.

Acceptable lighting includes fluorescent tubes of all shapes and lengths, compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), high density (HIDs), halogen, incandescent, LED and miniature LED, incandescent, halogen bulbs.  It does not include light fixtures or string lights.

“We are pleased that additional materials can be kept out of our landfill and will be recycled through the new Provincial light recycling program.” States Sue McCrae, General Manager at the Waste Recovery Centre.  “We were already accepting fluorescent bulbs and tubes, so it was easy to expand and include other bulbs at no additional cost to our operations.”

The program is funded by Environmental Handling Fees (EHFs) that are paid by producers of obligated lighting.  Collected lighting will be transported by an approved transporter to an approved recycler, for recycling.  The Centre will receive payment to recover the cost of handling the obligated lighting material.

“It’s always good news when we can add items to the list of things that don’t have to go in the garbage.” States Laurentian Valley Mayor and Chair of the Ottawa Valley Waste Management Board, Steve Bennett. “Municipalities are glad to see the Extended Producer Responsibility programs continue to grow across 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 material to the Centre’s Household Hazardous Waste Depot on Woito Station Road, year-round for no charge during regular operating hours.  Acceptable lighting can also be dropped off at the May 13 Petawawa Environmental Day or the June 3 Pembroke Environmental Day.

Additional information on the Provincial light recycling program can be found at www.productcare.org.

More information on lightbulb recycling at Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre can be found at https://ovwrc.com/light-recycling-program/.

Written by Elizabeth Graham
Elizabeth Graham has been the Communications Officer at Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre since November 2001. She loves all things up-cycled and re-purposed and enjoys working and volunteering within the community.