Vancouver city councillor Peter Ladner wants the provincial government to fulfill its promise to get electronic junk out of landfills and into a recycling program.

Ladner has a motion coming before council, demanding that the province implement its e-waste recycling program – promised last year.

"I'm not really sure why it hasn't happened. We been told it was going to happen for about a year. But I think these things they are new and they need to overcome sometimes some political inertia."

He notes Canadians dump 70,000 tonnes of obsolete computers, TVs and cell phones every year – contaminated with lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic.

Jay Illington, the vice-president of Electronic Products Stewardship Canada in Ottawa says four other provinces already have recycling programs.

"We have had some discussions with the B.C. government and a number of other stakeholders out there. I think we are fairly close to launching a program," he says.

Alberta launched its electronic equipment recycling program earlier this year – with a new recycling tax of up to $45 on some computer components.

Meanwhile, the Recycling Council of B.C. says action is needed because significant amounts of e-waste are being shipped illegally to third world sweatshops where child workers disassemble the toxic junk.