The Semiahmoo Bottle Depot is now accepting expired and used smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for recycling as part of a new province-wide program that kicked off right before Fire Prevention Week.
The program, called AlarmRecycle, launched on Oct. 1 in response to B.C. recycling regulations which require manufacturers to have take back and recycling programs for certain products.
“Prior to this program there was no recycling program for them anywhere in the province - they were just added to the landfill,” said Jordan Best, the program co-ordinator.
Now, South Surrey and White Rock residents can drop off their used and expired alarms to the depot, which is located at 15515 24 Ave., where the metal and plastic material is sorted and then sent to a recycler to be recovered and sold back as material, said Best.
During Fire Prevention Week, which runs from Oct. 9 to Oct. 15, the program will be advertised with help from local fire chiefs, Best said.
AlarmRecycle is a non-profit program funded entirely by recycling fees which have been applied to the sale of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in the province, said Best.
At the beginning of this month, B.C. applied a $1.20 recycling fee to the sale of a new smoke alarm and combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and a 60-cent charge for carbon monoxide alarms.
There are more than 20 different facilities around the province that will now be recycling the alarms.