REGINA – Government electronic devices are being donated to SaskTel’s Phones for a Fresh Start (PFFS) program.
An initial donation of nearly 2,500 late model, government-owned devices was announced this week in support of a new recycling collaboration with the Government of Saskatchewan supporting of the Crown corporation’s initiative.
Through the collaboration, the Government of Saskatchewan will donate surplus government-owned devices to the program for responsible recycling.
According to a press release, this collaboration will help boost recycling rates across the province while providing funds for PFFS to carry out its important activities in support of those fleeing domestic abuse and youth transitioning out of foster care.
Wireless devices, including cellphones and tablets, are made of materials that make them unsuitable for regular waste disposal. Since it launched in 2009, PFFS has diverted more than 143,400 electronic devices from landfills.
Since the program started, over $134,400 in prepaid phone cards and 5,740 cellphones have been donated to aid people in the province.
In addition to this announced collaboration with the Government of Saskatchewan, SaskTel continues to work together with SaskPower, another Crown corporation, that began donating end-of-usage devices to the program in 2022.
Through SaskTel’s PFFS, all donated wireless devices and accessories are recycled, with the recycling proceeds used to purchase new devices and phone cards for youth who are aging out of foster care and people fleeing domestic violence. SaskTel works with the Ministry of Social Services and Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services (PATHS) to ensure all new devices are distributed to those who need them the most.
