CC image courtesy of takomabibelot.
National e-Waste Collection Day took place in South Africa on Saturday, with a focus on the proper disposal of e-waste in order to protect the environment.
E-waste should be recycled and not be disposed of with ordinary refuse which makes its way to landfills, because it is harmful to the environment. Taking e-waste directly to a recycling centre can make money.
According to a report by Google last year, studies suggest Africa will overtake Europe in terms of the amount of e-waste generated by 2017, largely due to an increase in population and the availability of mobile devices.
Furthermore, Africa is described as an e-waste dumping ground for developed countries.
Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations (UN) environment agency, said from one tonne of mobile phones, excluding the batteries, 3.5 kilogrammes of silver, 340 grammes of gold, 140 grammes of palladium and 130 kilogrammes of copper can be extracted through recycling.
When simply dumped, the hazardous material contained in electronic devices negatively impacts both human health and the environment.
Lene Ecroignard, a representative of the e-Waste Association of South Africa (eWasa), told the Daily News the organisation took advantage of Saturday to spread the message.
“[The] government is working on regulations… which will be enforced, but in the interim, we’re encouraging people to recycle,” Ecroignard said.
Electric appliances that should be disposed of properly or recycled include computers and peripherals, washing machines, refrigerators, toasters, kettles, electronic toys, televisions, cables, batteries and fluorescent tubes.
These items can be taken to Incredible Connection, Makro and Hi-Fi stores for disposal. Pick n Pay accepts batteries.
