Ontario and British Columbia approve industry-led thermostat recycling plan
The Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH) along with the Heating, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) with Summerhill Impact has expanded the voluntary “Switch the Stat” program to meet B.C. and Ontario’s extended producer responsibility regulations for thermostats.
“Switch the Stat” recycles all thermostats. The program has been brought to British Columbia and Ontario as a mandated, responsible, manufacturer-funded program that calls for putting thermostat recycling bins into the hands of installers, contractors, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers; i.e. anyone who may have contact with old thermostats.
For CIPH members, having a thermostat recycling bin at your location will make it easier to support your local customers and participate in this program. There will be no cost to the contractor, wholesaler or distributor to participate, and the responsibility ultimately falls to the thermostat manufacturers, as they are funding the program to recycle old thermostats and divert them from landfills.
With approval, implementation is expected to begin as early as July 2010. CIPH will be engaging the Thermal Environmental Comfort Association (TECA) and the Mechanical Contractors Association of BC (MCABC) to take this message out to their members. Already from the voluntary program, there are 1,300 contractors and over 115 wholesale HVAC/R and plumbing branch locations participating.
137 CIPH members in B.C. and over 250 in Ontario consist of plumbing and heating wholesale distribution locations that come into contact with thousands of plumbing and heating contractors, hydronic installers, general contractors, and renovation professionals. Every single one of these professionals removes old thermostats off the wall at the jobsite.
The more locations and professionals participating, the more successful the program will be. Those interested in participating in the program can register for a recycling bin at: http://www.summerhillgroup.ca/eng/impact/programs/switch-the-stat-signup.php