Nova Scotia is banning phones, televisions and computers from landfills, a move that is expected to cost consumers when they buy new electronics.

Starting next February, people can drop off unwanted electronic items at recycling facilities around the province, the government announced Friday.

A computer monitor and printer are strewn in the trash at the Kentville landfill.
(Pam Berman/CBC)

Environment Minister Mark Parent said the diversion program was developed in co-operation with the electronics industry over the last three years.

"It's incredibly important," he said. "It'll divert 4,500 tonnes annually from the waste stream, and will recover products and create new jobs."

Under new regulations, manufacturers won't be allowed to sell products in Nova Scotia unless they have an approved recycling program.

There will be no charge for people to drop off items for recycling, but the electronics industry is expected to charge consumers a fee when buying new products to pay for the program.

"What we try to do is have the costs reflect what it costs to actually recycle the material," said David Betts, president of Electronic Product Stewardship Canada, which represents 22 manufacturers, including Sony, Dell and Apple.

In regions where diversion programs are in place, fees for new products range from $5 to $45, depending on the size and weight of an item, Betts said.

It will be up to the industry to set any fees in Nova Scotia, but the minister of environment expects the prices to be fair.

"Basically, the market will force them to keep that price down," Parent said.

Alberta and Saskatchewan have e-waste diversion programs. So do several European countries and U.S. states.

The Nova Scotia government says the first phase of the program will be in place by Feb. 1, 2008, and will cover televisions, computers, monitors and printers, with the list being expanded the following year to include phones and cellphones, scanners, faxes and video recording devices.

The electronic items will be taken apart to reclaim base metals.