Thank you, Kim.
Thank you very much for the question. I'm going to read my prepared answer, and then we can get into some more specifics on the question you have.
E-waste is both an environmental waste management issue, given the volumes that exist, and an economic opportunity for Canada. I'll note that provincial governments are the lead in regulations and legislation regarding e-waste. That's a very important factor in terms of how that's managed in the Canadian ecosystem, although I would note that there are federal levers related to the treatment of certain toxins in metals, such as mercury, lead and arsenic.
ISED has taken an important role in helping to ensure the longer life of electronic goods by diverting electronic waste from landfills. One example I can describe is the computers for schools program that we have. Through diverting computers that are no longer in their first life of use, they can be taken to another, second life for lower-income people or schools, etc.
There continues to be a significant volume of e-waste in Canada, and that moves through the recycling industry. Businesses in the recycling industry that specialize in the safe disposal of e-waste ensure that components, from plastics to valuable metals, are disposed of properly and re-enter supply chains as recycled content. However, not all recycled inputs have the same value, which impacts the demand for these recycled materials.
In essence, we have a very nascent, burgeoning recycling of e-waste sector, if you can even call it a sector. In some instances, the products of e-waste might go to various offshoots or key inputs of other parts of the manufacturing system. It's quite dependent, as I said in my opening remarks, upon the ability of those products to be absorbed into the manufacturing sectors for which they could become part of the circular economy.
I hope that somewhat answers your question.