Recycling e-waste made easy

MATT LAWREY

WASTING E-WASTE: From left, Lindsay McRae, Nelson ReUse and Recycle Centre manager Murray Simms and Nelson Environment Centre's waste manager Karen Driver.

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The days of having to throw electronic waste into landfill are over for Nelsonians who can afford to have it recycled.

The Nelson Environment Centre launched year-round recycling of electronic waste (e-waste) at the Nelson ReUse and Recycle Centre in Tahunanui on Sunday.

The service is called e-Cycle and prices include: $5 for a desktop computer, $6 for a stereo, $11.50 for an ink-jet printer, $20 for a television and $46 for a small photocopier. Cellphones are free.

Nelson ReUse and Recycle Centre manager Murray Simms said he was excited about being able to offer an environmentally conscious option for recycling electronics. In the past, the centre had only been able to accept a small quantity of e-waste if it was able to be sold.

"We have to assume that much of what we couldn't accept would have ended up in landfill," Murray said.
"eDay has provided a solution for some over the past three years but our customers were wanting a solution for all electronic waste, including televisions, every day."

Nelson Environment Centre's waste manager Karen Driver has been working on setting up the service for 18 months and is helping roll it out around the country. She said it was "fabulous" to see it launched in Nelson.

"It's doing something positive. It's dealing with a problem that we need to deal with. There are so many valuable items in all electronics, it is madness to be throwing them away," she said.

Karen said the new service is likely to replace eDay which has been free.

"One concern is having to charge people but it's a matter of economics, basically," she said.

Murray said so far, customers have been positive about the service with many people saying "it's about time" and that New Zealand is "miles behind" Europe and the United States when it comes to recycling e-waste.

E-waste is the fastest growing type of waste in the world  estimated at 80,000 tonnes per year in New Zealand  and is more toxic than normal household rubbish.

The materials that can be recycled from electronics include gold, silver, platinum and palladium. However, many devices such as televisions and monitors contain toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium, and hazardous chemicals such as brominated flame retardants.

The new service is being funded by the government's Waste Minimisation Fund and run in conjunction with Auckland-based e-waste recycling company RCN.

CRT televisions and monitors from the South Island will be processed in Christchurch. Items such as cabling, metals and unleaded glass will be refurbished or recycled in Auckland.

Some materials including circuit boards, leaded glass, cartridges, batteries and plastic have to be recycled in overseas. For more information visit e-cycle.co.nz.

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