Quantum Lifecycle Partners LP has been selected as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers 2026. This award recognizes their formal partnership with reBOOT Canada to refurbish and donate computers to people with limited access to technology. Quantum encourages its clients to either donate directly or in-kind through the donation of refurbished computers and also co-hosts e-waste collection events to help raise funds for the initiative.
Now in its 19th year, Canada’s Greenest Employers is an annual editorial competition organized by the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project. This special designation recognizes the employers that lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness in their organizations. These employers have developed exceptional sustainability initiatives – and are attracting people to their organizations because of their environmental leadership.
At Quantum Lifecycle Partners LP, being green isn’t just embedded in the company culture, says Stephanie McLarty, head of sustainability. Being green is the business model for the electronics lifecycle management company whose mission is to minimize the amount of e-waste entering landfills.
To that end, Quantum enables organizations of all sizes to safely dispose of their end-of-life IT and electronic assets. Using advanced reuse and recycling systems, the Toronto-headquartered company prioritizes refurbishing equipment (including computers and cellphones) and breaks down the remaining items to recover recyclable components such as precious metals.
“People come to work at Quantum for all the regular reasons — a stable job, good pay, good benefits,” McLarty says. “Employees also know that what we do is really important for the planet and they’re proud to be part of making a difference. From my perspective, it’s great to work alongside people who really care.”
She includes the senior leadership for whom doing the right thing has also proven to be a savvy business strategy. Formed in 2019 and backed by shareholders with expertise in the metal recycling industry, Quantum quickly became one of Canada’s largest recyclers of e-waste, the world’s fastest growing waste stream. By early 2026, Quantum had established operations in 15 locations, including Costa Rica and the United States.
McLarty, whose role includes influencing positive change, is a regular speaker at conferences. She also hosts Quantum’s podcast, The Circular Future, where she discusses a variety of topics such as the right to repair movement or the benefits and harms of 3D printing.
Internally, McLarty leads Quantum’s green team, which includes employees from different departments who work on environmental projects throughout the company. The team’s goals and many of its activities are serious, but there is also a focus on friendly competitions and other fun activities.
To celebrate Circular Economy Month, for example, the green team challenged employees to post in an online forum about how they reuse or recycle something at home or at work and awarded prizes to the three locations with the most entries per capita. In all, 160 helpful posts were shared, McLarty says.
Although he’s now another proud Quantum employee, Tanay Seludkar says he never planned on a career in the e-waste business. Still, he was open to the idea when a recruiter approached him. At the time, he was a graduate student studying international business management in Ottawa, so he started at Quantum in a part-time role in 2022.
Three promotions later, Seludkar is a business development manager in Toronto and says he is grateful for all the help and support he’s had along the way. “The rule here is ‘There are no stupid questions,’” he says.
Now it’s Seludkar’s turn to answer customers’ questions. “The first thing they ask is ‘Will my sensitive data be safe?’” he says. “Then they ask if our processes are safe. They don’t want their old equipment to become someone else’s problem.”
The answer to both, he says, is yes. Quantum has multiple international certifications for meeting the highest industry standards as it tracks the chain of custody from pickup through destruction. The well-documented process also includes such measures as unannounced audits and employee background checks.
Seludkar is also a member of the green team where his activities include working with other employees to determine where they can make improvements. In one project, for example, they worked on greener packaging for the laptops that Quantum refurbishes.
For McLarty, employees’ commitment to making even small improvements is a big deal. “I feel like employee engagement around sustainability is our superpower,” she says.