E-Waste

Did you know that e-waste is the fastest-growing toxic waste stream in New Zealand?

What is electronic waste (E-Waste)?

E-Waste is made up of a complex mix of materials, including precious metals such as gold, silver, copper, lithium and platinum. It’s important for e-waste to be responsibly reused or recycled, to either lengthen the life of the products or to ensure these precious metals are extracted instead of wasting away in landfills.

Why is it important to recycle electronic waste?

Precious metals such as copper are very common in electronic devices.
Minimising e-waste helps to conserve these mined resources and reduces the amount of energy we take from the planet.
Stops recyclable metals going into landfill and new metals being mined from the earth’s resources.

Why does it cost to recycle certain kinds of electronics?

In some e-waste, there are hazardous materials that need special treatments to keep the process of recycling
environmentally friendly.

Electronics with high plastic content.
Electronics that contain lead or bromide. Hazardous if disposed of in a general landfill.
Single-use and lithium batteries. These have a significant fire risk and need to be dealt with in a way that is safe for the public and the recyclers.