Switch-Out Program: How Logel’s Keeps Mercury Out of the Environment

The team at Logel’s Auto Parts is committed to environmentally responsible car recycling in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and the surrounding area. That’s why we are proud to be a part of the national recycling program, Switch Out.

Switch Out is a Canada-wide program focussed on removal, collection and proper management of car parts that contain mercury. These include:

• Lighting switches
• Anti-lock braking system (ABS) sensor modules

By working directly with automotive recyclers and dismantlers like Logel’s Auto Parts, Switch Out provides training and resources to ensure the proper disposal of these items in end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). By working together, we can ensure that mercury doesn’t enter the environment.

Switch Out works in collaboration with a number of industries throughout Canada:

• Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA)
• Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA)
• Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC)
• Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI)

All automotive recyclers and manufacturers are encouraged to join, and participation is free and simple.

So why is this important?

Environment Canada has determined that about half of all of the mercury found in our environment comes from natural resources and processes, meaning that the other half comes from human activities. 

Mercury has a wide range of uses, and has the unique characteristic of being liquid at room temperature. It’s used widely in household, commercial, medical and industrial applications.

Despite mercury’s usefulness, it is a toxic, bioaccumulative and persistent heavy metal with huge potential impacts on the environment and our health.

By collecting and managing mercury switches from end-of-life vehicles, this program ensures that all of these items are counted, documented, retorted and recycled safely and in an environmentally-friendly way.

Learn more about the Switch Out program and how you can get involved by visiting their website, and learn more about Logel’s Auto Parts’ commitment to the environment here.