The Electronic Recycling Association of Alberta (ERA) is warning the public to erase their hard drives or remove them completely before bringing them to any electronic waste collection depots.In a recent press release, the ERA warns that computers, laptops, servers and routers have been removed from landfills and electronic waste collection sites in B.C. and Alberta and sold without having their information erased.However, both the environmental manager in Red Deer County who oversees the electronic waste collection at Horn Hill Waste Transfer Facility and a manager with Mountain View Regional Waste Management Commission said last week steps are taken to insure data theft does not occur. Neither location sells electronics that are brought to their depots.“We take effort to protect from that,” said Andrew Treu, environmental services manager for Red Deer County, who explained the electronic waste is covered through the Alberta Management Recycling Authority. The county acts as a resource, provides manpower and a spot to collect the electronics, he explained.“When we receive it (electronics) we have to do an inventory so they know how many TVs, computers we have and what size. It goes into a big sea can and it's locked overnight. There's potential out there for theft. So we try and protect that, but we're not liable.”He said the electronics are free to recycle and include items such as computers, laptops, printers and speakers.“A few years ago ARMA started with a few items like the main tower of a computer. It gets collected and goes to a recycling company where it has to be broken down and they take out the metals and all that good stuff. As those companies have developed they've been able to add more products to the list.”He said to check the ARMA website for a detailed list of what can be recycled for free. Items not covered by ARMA are accepted as part of the normal waste stream and charged as part of the going scale rate.With the Mountain View Regional Waste Management Commission, computers and TVs are accepted at any of the four waste transfer sites.“We do computers and anything attached to a computer and TVs at no charge,” said manager Carol Longwell. “Once someone brings one in we do not let anyone take them out. It goes to a company in Red Deer where they are dismantled. It's why we don't let them out because if there is personal information, we don't want it out there.”She said people are able to dispose of their electronics for free because of a recycling fee they pay when purchasing an electronic device.
