I found this out at a recent tour of Genesis Recycling of Aldergrove BC, London Drugs’ recycling partner. Most of us just take our plastics, tin and glass to the blue box and forget about it. For electronics and packaging, London Drugs makes it as easy as bringing them back to the store. But what happens behind the scenes is far from simple. Recent news stories have shown electronics and other recyclables simply dumped in third world countries, sometimes with toxic effects. Computers and other data-carrying devices have ended up re-sold or scavenged, sometimes with the old users’ data still on them.
Neither of these scenarios was acceptable to VP Clint Mahlman (pictured above) and the London Drugs Green Deal team. So they have worked diligently with Genesis President Bruce Shore to develop systems and procedures that protect data and make sure all London Drugs recyclables end up as commodities for manufacture, rather than landfill.
Lets start with Styrofoam. London Drugs is the only major retailer that will take back packaging from products purchased there, including those awkward blocks of protective polystyrene foam. This is not cheap to do, as Styrofoam is light, but takes up truckloads of space. Genesis uses a condensing system that turns an 8-foot high pallet of styro blocks into a 40-lb plastic blob about the size of a small car tire. This condensed styrene is then shipped and sold for the manufacture of such items as plastic patio light shells. Right now, it costs London Drugs money to provide this service as reselling the plastic does not cover the costs. But it sure feels good to know that over the last 18 months we have diverted 40 semi-trucks full of Styrofoam from our landfills – that’s 50,000 lbs!
On the electronics side, Genesis and London Drugs are just as diligent. First, when you bring back any data-carrying item to the store, they will physically damage the drive right there before sending it out. Once at Genesis, all computers and appliances are taken apart by hand, separated into their components and the drives permanently destroyed. This two-step process ensures the data cannot be recovered, and all commodities shipped from Genesis are ready to be sold for remanufacture or further processing.
It was a real eye-opener, seeing how the recycling process can help close the loop between disposal and manufacturing right here in our back yard. But we need the support of London Drugs customers and the political will to make it happen on an even larger scale. So shop responsibly, and bring back your old electronics, appliances and packaging. A letter to your local MLA in support of home-grown recycling solutions wouldn’t hurt either.
Keep on recyclin’.

GreenDeal 101 is our series of blog articles written specifically to help newcomers to the Green scene understand some of the terminology and issues in the world of sustainability.

As you have no doubt heard, levels of CO2, methane, and other gasses are rapidly building within the earth’s atmosphere, causing it to trap more of the sun’s energy and warm the earth. (The Greenhouse Effect). Carbon Footprint refers to “the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product” (UK Carbon Trust 2008)
This calculation is used as a measurement tool for companies to reduce their effect on the environment, and is even beginning to make its way into the shopping environment as well.
Calculating a Carbon Footprint can be very complex. Consider the case of a manufactured product, where the Carbon Footprint may include everything from emissions from the mining equipment used to dig the raw materials out of the ground to the manufacturing of the package it comes in, to the truck that brought it to the store.
You may have heard the term ‘Zero Carbon Footprint’ or ‘Carbon Neutral’. This is a claim made when emissions are compensated for, usually through the purchase of ‘Carbon Offsets’, which fund activities like methane capture and wind farms, that remove or replace an equivalent amount of emissions from the atmosphere.
In the United Kingdom, one organization has even started bringing Carbon Labels to store shelves to help consumers understand the life cycle carbon emissions or carbon footprint embodied in a product. What’s the Green Deal has no plans at present for such a labeling program at London Drugs, (we don’t have the staff or resources to do that kind of scientific research), but it is good to be aware of the effects of our product decisions. Just thinking about carbon footprint can point out some surprising differences in the choices we might make.
For instance, you may decide to shop a little greener by choosing a product made from recycled materials. But if that product is manufactured overseas, a locally-produced item made from non-recycled material may have a similar or lower carbon footprint.
Just Google ‘Carbon Footprint’ if you want to know more, and stay tuned for other GreenDeal 101 blog articles.

Compact Fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s) have become instantly recognizable as a symbol of the mainstream green movement. Yet after they have spent their long lives helping reduce your electricity usage, they are not easy to dispose of properly. CFL’s contain mercury, which is a very toxic element, so they need to be properly recycled.
Starting May 11, 2009, a new initiative is being offered at London Drugs in which the public can bring back Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulbs and 4-foot Fluorescent Light (FL) Tubes for safe, responsible recycling.
This is incredibly important, because it makes recycling these products as easy as buying them. Which is a huge step forward in helping busy people live a little greener.
Simply wrap your old bulbs carefully in a plastic bag (a box is even better) and drop them off at the Customer Service Counter, or preferably at the Receiving Department, of your local London Drugs store. It’s that easy. So what happens to the bulbs once they leave the store?
London Drugs has partnered with PROECO Corporation, a company that has been responsibly recycling fluorescent bulbs (and exceeding regulatory requirements) for over 10 years. Once safely packaged and transported to PROECO, fluorescent lamp tubes are inserted into a self-contained lamp crushing unit. Any emissions are controlled by a ‘High Efficiency Particle Air’ (HEPA) and carbon filtration system. The components are then separated and the residuals are sent for recycling. Mercury contaminated residuals are sent for recovery.
It’s very important to ensure mercury contamination stays out of our landfills, so please bring your old bulbs back and help support this valuable program. You may even want to pick up a few replacements in the lighting department while you’re there.
For more information, visit your local London Drugs lighting department