With spring in the air, it is time to clear your garage, the cupboard under the stairs and the drawer filled with old cellphones, and take your electronic waste (e-waste) to a collection point near you.
eWASA members reported growing figures for both collection events hosted earlier in the year and hope to set a new record with this round. After all, you will need space for all the electronic goodies this Christmas will bring.
E-waste is anything that uses electricity or a battery to operate. Thus, it includes a wide range of goods, including large and small household appliances, computer equipment and consumer electronics such as TVs, HiFis and gaming consoles. Of course, the list also includes telephones and cellphones, fax machines and telex machines that hog the cupboard space in the hall.
eWASA member companies include collectors, refurbishers, dismantlers and recyclers, and each company plays an important role in the end-of-life management of discarded electronic equipment. Not only do these machines contain valuable materials such as copper, gold and palladium, but also a number of materials that could damage the environment, including lead, barium, mercury and other heavy metals.
Around the globe, e-waste is the fastest growing waste stream; small wonder if you consider our increasing appetite for electronics in every application of our lives.
On local shores, the disposal of e-waste is governed by the NEMA Waste Act of 2008 and its regulations, requiring companies to report on collection and disposal of the waste items and introducing a time limit that will see a complete ban for these items to go to landfills.
Below is a list of companies that will provide 635 collection points nationwide on 19 October to ensure the environmentally sound management of the e-waste collected. eWASA and its partners continue to work to increase the number of collection points. For more information on eWASA and its members, see www.ewasa.org or browse on www.mywaste.co.za to find a permanent collection point in your area. Most of the points listed below are permanent collection points for e-waste.
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