THE digital age has brought convenience and progress that has made life easier, but the corresponding increase in electronic waste (e-waste) has been of significant environmental concern.
Old and broken electronic appliances, which include cellphones, radios, fridges, computers, toys, hairdryers, kettles, microwaves and irons can be described as e-waste when no longer in use and need to be discarded properly.
Zah Khanyile, who is the owner of Psixteen3 Eco-Cycle, said her company has partnered with eThekwini Municipality’s Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit to collect e-waste so it can be disposed of accordingly.
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“Through this initiative, residents can deposit their non-working appliances in bins placed at various locations around the city. The Bluff area residents can call us, and we will come collect the items that need to be disposed of,” said Khanyile.
She added that she is in the process of identifying a site in the south of Durban where Psixteen3 Eco-Cycle can place a bin to collect e-waste. Ashley du Plooy, who is the chairman of the E-Waste Recycling Authority (ERA), said e-waste is the most complex waste to manage and process due to potentially toxic components used in production, such as lead and mercury, as well as a mix of materials, including wires and plastics.
“E-waste has a huge environmental impact, especially in the context of Africa, where poverty and existing socio-economic issues have led to people smashing old appliances on the streets and burning cables to extract valuable components for resale. It is always the poor who are the most affected by these kinds of issues,” said Du Plooy.
She added that there is a significant amount of legacy e-waste from decades of irresponsible dumping already sitting in landfills. ERA estimates that 415 500 tonnes of e-waste is produced in South Africa annually and most of it still ends at landfill sites. It was only in 2021 that new regulations came into law in South Africa, on the the waste electronic and electrical equipment sector. Called the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations, Du Plooy said this means that all producers of electrical and electronic equipment are now legally required to participate in an extended producer responsibility scheme, with prescribed targets and penalties for non-compliance.
Psixteen3 Eco-Cycle can be contacted for e-waste removal via WhatsApp on 065 682 2621 or call 086 199 5017, or send an email to EMAILinfo@psixteen3.com
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