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If it looks like a tax and smells like a tax it’s…an “Environment Handling Fee”! On August 1st, British Columbians will be subject to another stealth tax – er ‘Environment Handling Fee’ (created by bureaucratic fiat, not passed by the Legislative Assembly) – on any computers, laptops, monitors, printers and TVs they purchase all dressed up in nice green finery. All baloney.
Retailers, such as my computer store, will be required to collect this ‘Environment Handling Fee’ and remit it to a monopoly, Encorp, for services related to the disposal of various electronic devices. Encorp will set up drop off locations for these products and will conduct some advertising related to them. The government even has the gall to charge PST and GST (a tax on a tax) on these ‘Environment Handling Fees’. These fees are non-refundable (i.e. not a deposit). While the problem is real, these products contain some nasty stuff (e.g. lead based solder) – this program does little to fix it while costing BC citizens millions per year and establishing a new program that will be with us permanently. As Ronald Reagan observed, “Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!” Currently, my store offers a free drop off point for computers and related items without charging anything for this service (except a $5 pass-through fee for monitors). We assess the computer for any re-usable parts and take remaining components to a certified recycler (TechnoTrash) for safe disposal. All at no cost (or a much lower cost) to BC taxpayers. Encorp, on the other hand, will not be recycling any of the components they receive and will burn them in a furnace in Trail. This is supposed to be good for the environment? If the government were serious about protecting the environment, they would have made the ‘Environment Handling Fee’ a deposit. Responsible people will always find ways to safely dispose of these products whether at a voluntary drop-off location, or else at one of the hazardous waste collections made available periodically. Others, without the incentive of a deposit, would be tempted to throw this stuff into a dumpster. But most people will think twice about dumping the equivalent of $10 or more. So ‘Environment Handling Fees’ achieve the worst of all possible worlds – imposing hundreds of millions of extra costs on British Columbians, recycling nothing and giving little or no discernable benefit to the environment. Altogether, an impressive achievement! Peter Neville,
President, Bytz Computers
Kelowna, BC (250) 860-3922
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