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The national Switch Out program's collaborative design pulls support from four industry associations to maximize results. This collaborative model has kept the program relevant over time and tripled the program's average yearly results.
In 2007, Environment Canada issued a Pollution Prevention Notice that held the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association (CVMA) and the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) responsible for recovering hundreds of thousands of mercury switches from convenience lighting assemblies and ABS braking sensor modules in end-of-life vehicles, model year 2003 and older. For theses industry associations, running an automotive mercury switch recovery program to fulfill the requirements of the notice would be challenging, considering the limited access either one had to the product needing recovery.
At this time, Summerhill Impact (formerly Clean Air Foundation) had already been running Switch Out for 6 years, in partnership with the Auto Recyclers of Canada, who voluntarily incorporated mercury recovery as a part of their recycling industry best-practices. CVMA and CSPA turned to Summerhill Impact to run a ramped-up national version of Switch Out to answer their needs.
Summerhill Impact leveraged connections with the Auto Recyclers of Canada that had been made through administering the regional Switch Out program and the national Car Heaven program, in order to quickly and effectively expand the program nationally.
In addition, Summerhill put together an advisory committee comprised of the two funding associations as well as the Auto Recyclers of Canada and the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries, for the purpose of gaining industry specific insights to help continually improve the program's operations. A recent outcome of such collaboration has been the release of the highly important "Zero Mercury" Scrap Purchasing Policy from the CSPA. This unique, industry-generated environmental requirement directly supports participants in the Switch Out program.
Nearly 450,000 mercury switches have been recovered through the Switch Out program. The program now has over 1,000 participants from every province and territory in Canada.
"I like that the Switch Out program conducts itself in a very transparent way and helps to legitimize professional Automotive Recyclers."
– David Gold, Standard Auto Recyclers
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WEBSITE ⇒ www.switchout.ca