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Niagara Falls
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Residents recycle electronic waste for Red Roof Retreat

 

Old phones, TVs, vacuum cleaners and printers — Niagara-on-the-Lake residents brought all kinds of electronic waste to Simpson’s Pharmacy last Saturday to help raise money for a good cause.

The pharmacy’s electronics recycling event and barbecue raised funds for Red Roof Retreat, with the barbecue portion of the event alone drumming up $632, said event co-ordinator Karen Post.

As well as the barbecue funds, collected electronics have been sent to the Ontario Electronic Stewardship — a not-for-profit organization that runs a recycling program in Ontario, and pays per tonne for items — and the money raised will also go to Red Roof.

By noon Saturday, residents had already brought in eight tonnes of electronic waste, said Vikas Mann, director of operations at ATL Adventure Services, which provided e-waste collection services during the event.

Post said information about the total amount of waste and what was collected won’t be available for a couple of weeks.

NOTL resident Rudy Hollemans arrived at the pharmacy in a truck, with a trunk full of electronics.

Hollemans said Seaway Mall, where he works, recycles electronics from its tenants but instead of throwing the waste away, he decided to bring everything to the event “to try to help.”

“It’s for a good cause,” he told The Lake Report. “We try to help Red Roof as much as we can.”

Maggie Griffiths also brought electronics, such as a TV and a printer, to the event. She said it was a “fabulous event” and a “great idea.”

Niagara Now will follow up on how much was raised.

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