IT Recycla has bought an eco-friendly e-waste processor to stop toxic electronic waste going into our landfills.
CEO of the Auckland and Wellington-based company Kevin Ruscoe says it’s a growing problem. Seventy percent of landfill
toxic waste in our landfills is caused by e-waste, he says.
“The mercury, lead, arsenic, beryllium, chromium and cadmium that come from old technology can cause major health
problems.” These include brain damage, reproductive and developmental issues, and immune, kidney, nervous system and DNA
damage.
IT Recycla’s e-waste processing plant and ‘eddy current’ separator is 99.5 per cent effective in separating out the
materials containing these toxic substances. Although not a new technology, the conveyor-belt based separator is the
first in New Zealand.
Materials go through several shredding, shaking and sorting/separation processes. It uses powerful rare earth magnets to
remove ferrous (iron-containing) metals, while ‘eddy current separation’ separates out aluminium, copper, plastics and
printed circuit board materials.
“We promote ourselves as being so pure in New Zealand, but the really our approach to recycling is Third World,” says
Ruscoe.
“We have no centralised recycling like other developed countries. It’s a national disgrace. I got so frustrated, which
is why we bought the automatic separator, so we could to do the job ourselves.”