Wanaka Wastebusters today (Wed 23^rd March) opened their container doors for year-round recycling of computer and television waste, with the launch of an onsite e-Cycle depot.

Wanaka Wastebusters is one of the flag-ship sites for the nationwide e-CycleeCycle project, which expects to have 20 sites up and running by the end of the June 2011.

Local e-Cycle eCyclemanager Matthew (Bif) Smith said he was really excited that Wanaka Wastebusters was one of the first sites to start collecting e-waste under the e-Cycle banner.

“Because we were already collecting computer waste and stockpiling it for e-Day, it wasn’t too much of a stretch for us to get set up for e-CycleeCycle, so we’re happy to be one of the first e-CycleeCycle sites to open nationwide.

Mr Smith said he believed being able to recycle televisions would be popular in Wanaka.

“We get a lot of televisions brought into the shop, and we can only resell the newer ones with remotes. There is just no demand for an older television these days.

“A small television contains 3kg of lead plus other poisonous materials, so it’s a toxic hazard in the landfill. We’ve been asking people to hang on to them until we have a good recycling option, so I think there is quite a stockpile in the community.”

Unlike eDay, which received substantial Government funding and commercial sponsorship, e-Cycling will not be free. People dropping off old computers and televisions will have to pay to cover the costs of safe and responsible recycling.

The prices have been set by RCN, a NZ-owned family firm in Auckland which will organise all the reprocessing and refurbishing of the e-waste collected round the country.

“I don’t think people will mind paying when they realise that the money covers the cost of transport and safe, responsible recycling,” said Mr Smith. “The e-CycleeCycle depots aren’t making heaps of money, we’re just keen to keep the toxic waste out of the landfill.”

Wanaka Wastebusters communications officer Gina Dempster said consumers may start thinking more about the benefits of product stewardship when faced with the costs of recycling e-waste.

“We think the people who make the money should pay for the recycling,” she said. “We’d love to see producer responsibility in the electronics industry.

“If producers had to pay for recycling of their products, then they would have an incentive to make their products last longer, be upgradable and reduce toxic materials used. As it is now, their only incentive is to sell more appliances and make more profits.”

Mr Smith said people who dropped off old computers at Wanaka Wastebusters often asked where their computers would be sent for recycling.

“For me, one of the big benefits of being part of a nationwide scheme, is the relationship with RCN and the trust we have in their recycling processes.

“People have seen the documentaries about hazardous recycling in China which damages the environment and the health of the workers. It’s really important to us that the e-waste we collect will not end up on a smoking heap of toxic waste, and the RCN team have told us there’s no way that could happen.”

Mr Smith said RCN is committed to doing as much as possible of the recovery and processing of e-waste in New Zealand.

RCN is pleased that CRT televisions and monitors from the South Island will be able to be processed in Christchurch, despite the recent earthquake damage to the city.

Some items will be refurbished or recycled in Auckland (cabling, metals, unleaded glass). Some materials have to be recycled off-shore (circuit boards, leaded glass, cartridges, batteries and plastic), because there is no option to do it in New Zealand.

Members of the RCN team have visited the off-shore factories, and report that their working conditions are of a high standard, and that they are ISO 14001 accredited and meet international regulations to minimise environmental harm.

The factories are located in Australia, Singapore, Japan and China.

Matthew (Bif) Smith: 443 8606 ext 9,
Gina Dempster:  443 8606 ext 9, 443 7116 (hm), 027 443 7116