Everyone's a winner in E-waste initiative

Schools as well as the environment will be the winners as Taranaki gets its first network of recycling collection points for electronic waste.

Unwanted computers, television sets and other e-Waste can be taken to RCN e-Cycle drop-off sites in New Plymouth, Hawera and Stratford, from where they will be shipped for responsible recycling. And schools that show support for the initiative over the next two months will be in the running for prizes of tablet computers and PCs.

“People taking their e-Waste to any of these sites can nominate the school they support, and the schools achieving the most recycling per pupil in May and June will be in the running for prizes of Samsung Galaxy Tablets or Dell PCs,” says the Taranaki Regional Councillor Neil Walker, who chairs the region’s Solid Waste Management Committee.

“These drop-off sites are the first link in a chain that results in responsible and ethical recycling, and we’re sure schools and their students will be keen to promote the idea.”

The New Plymouth site is at Whitaker Engineering in Corbett Rd, Bell Block (Saturday mornings only, commencing 5 May) and the Hawera site is at Egmont Refuse and Recycling, Scott St (weekdays during business hours, Saturday by appointment).  Egmont Refuse and Recycling will also provide a service in Stratford, from noon to 4pm on the first Saturday of each month at the car park in front of the War Memorial Centre (commencing 5 May).

Mr Walker says the recycling scheme is user-pays but the cost is subsidised by the New Plymouth, South Taranaki and Stratford District Councils.

Electronic waste is one of the world’s most toxic waste streams and is expected to increase further with the advent of digital TV in New Zealand and the continuing transition to flat-screen technology.

“Not only has New Zealand been passing on a toxic legacy by sending 30,000 tonnes of lead and other heavy metals to landfill every year, but we’ve also been losing rare and important materials from the manufacturing cycle,” says Mr Walker. “A few dollars is a small cost for a far better legacy.”

The Taranaki Solid Waste Management Committee is made up of representatives from the region’s four Councils, and is administered by the Taranaki Regional Council.

The Taranaki e-Waste recycling drop-off points are part of RCN e-Cycle, a national network developed by the RCN Group in partnership with the Community Recycling Network. RCN e-Cycle has received funding from the Waste Minimisation Fund administered by the Ministry for the Environment.

For full details of the Taranaki drop-off points, and the schools promotion, see www.trc.govt.nz.

E-waste poster (1.2 MB)