Electronic waste recycling now available year round

May 12th, 2011
[Based on TDC press release]

A newly launched initiative has brought electronic waste recycling to the Tasman/Nelson region. The Nelson ReUse and Recycle Centre at 6 Vivian Place, Tahunanui is now accepting electronic waste for recycling as part of the e-Cycle Project.

Electronic waste is a growing problem in New Zealand with an estimated 80,000 tonnes of computers, televisions and electronic appliances disposed of every year. The e-Cycle Project aims to divert as much of this waste as possible from our landfills into recycling.

Over the past three years, recycling and disposal facilities for of electronic waste have been offered throughout New Zealand on one day a year - the so-called e-Day. The latest one was on November 6th, when a drop-off place was provided in Lower Moutere.

Since e-Day's inception in 2007, over 200,000 items of computer and computer-related waste have been dropped off by householders and businesses for safe recycling. Despite these results, as a long term solution, eDay New Zealand advocates for compulsory product stewardship and still says e-Day is just an interim measure until this is in place.

Now the Nelson ReUse and Recycle Centre will take obsolete and broken computers or electronic appliances away for recycling. There is a small fee for each item to help cover the costs of labour, freight, the use of dismantling equipment, and other logistical costs. Specific fees can be viewed here.

Items which are accepted for recycling include:
Computers (desktops, laptops, monitors, motherboards, internal cards, external devices, cables, keyboards, mice);
Monitors & TVs (televisions, CRT monitors, LCD monitors, rear projection, DVD & video players);
Computers internals (computer cases, modems, sound cards, video cards, power supplies, hard drives, internal cables, CD/DVD drives, all internal parts);
All electrical cables;
Photocopiers and printers (home copiers, office copiers, all-in-one units, inkjet printers, laser printers, toners, drums);
Home whiteware (washing machines, top loaders, front loaders, dryers);
Consumer electronics (stereos, video players, DVD players, game consoles, alarm clocks, MP3 players.

Electronic devices are a complex mixture of several hundred materials. Some are valuable, like gold, silver, platinum and palladium, which occur in the circuit boards of desktop computers. However, many devices such as TVs and CRT monitors contain toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium, and hazardous chemicals such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Generally, the older the equipment, the more toxic material it contains.

The e-Cycle Project is a partnership between recycling company RCN and the Community Recycling Network, with support from the government's Waste Minimisation Fund, Tasman District Council, Nelson City Council and Nelmac.

>> , to be added to the page. [If this link doesn't work, use this form instead]

[ Return ]
[ Other news articles ]