Friday 30 September

Recycle your e-waste during October e-month

October is eWaste month! Gisborne District Council together with Waste Management and South Waikato Achievement Centre are joining forces to recycle your eWaste.

People with any old computer equipment, televisions, mobile phones and domestic printers and scanners can take it to their local transfer station for recycling in October.

“Recycling eWaste can be costly,” says waste minimisation officer Anne Lister, “but for this month Council is subsidising the recycling from waste levy funding.

“The special cost is $5 for 20 kilogrammes or less of eWaste dropped to the Innes Street Transfer Station. For loads over 20kgs it’ll be a cost of 26 cents a kilogramme.

“Rural transfer stations will receive your eWaste as well, but instead will take two rural rubbish stickers (the equivalent of $5) for up to 20kg.”

EWaste collected in the Gisborne district will be taken to the South Waikato Achievement Centre in Tokoroa for reusing or recycling.

Ms Lister says Waste Management are providing a dedicated staff member at the Innes Street transfer station to sort and stack the equipment ready for transportation to Tokoroa.

“The South Waikato Achievement Centre employs over 120 disabled and disadvantaged in the South Waikato community, 18 of these people work with the e-waste enterprise.”

The e-waste recycling facility is currently processing over 50 tonne per month from the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Ruapehu region, where they achieve a 95% recycled or re-use rate.

“If a machine is being recycled, the drive is removed and shredded.

“For equipment that still works or can be re-used, they electronically erase everything from the drive and then reload Windows for on sale.”

SWAC works in close collaboration with similar large community based operations in Invercargill and Auckland. They share technical knowledge and consolidate equipment that needs to be exported or which requires specialised handling.

“We encourage our Tairāwhiti community to take advantage of eMonth and take your eWaste to be recycled.”

Quick info

What can be recycled?

• computers and accessories

• home printers and scanners

• televisions

• mobile phones

Remove the items from packaging. Put cardboard and booklets in your recycling bin. Plastic bags, twist ties and polystyrene goes in your rubbish bag.

Where you can take it and the cost?

City - Waste Management, Innes Street transfer station, 75 Innes St, Awapuni.

• $5 for up to 20kgs, then it's charged by weight for heavy stuff

Rural areas - your local rural transfer station

• 2 rural rubbish stickers for up to 20kgs

When?

During transfer station opening hours for the month of October only.

ENDS

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