From 1 November 2021 Horowhenua District Council will subsidise the disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) at a reduced fee or free at Foxton and Shannon Waste Transfer Stations.

E-waste is the fastest-growing type of waste in the world. In New Zealand, we generate around 80,000 tonnes per year, with only 2 percent being recycled, that’s only 1600 tonnes a year.

We receive regular feedback from the community that it is too expensive to recycle electronic waste and most people are just taking it to the dump.

A plan to encourage people to get rid of their e-waste responsibly began earlier this year with a proposal sent to Council in September.

Any size and type of TV is now $20 to recycle instead of $40. Some items are now free to recycle, including all household batteries, car batteries, energy-saving lightbulbs, cellphones, computer desktops and servers.

Waste Minimisation Officer, Robert Stillwell has been working hard to reduce the amount of e-waste in the Horowhenua. “I’m hopeful that by making it more affordable our community will get behind it and start recycling their old electronics the right way,” said Stillwell.

There have been many beach clean ups in the Horowhenua recently, accompanied is a picture of a hazardous car battery that was found on Foxton Beach this weekend.

“E-waste can be pretty dangerous too, we recently had a rubbish truck set on fire from an old battery that exploded in the back,” Stillwell added.

You can drop off your unwanted batteries to any Waste Transfer Station in the area for free, and Shannon and Foxton Waste Transfer Stations will take everything else, for free or with a subsidised fee to help dispose of these items safely with less environmental impact.

Visit https://horowhenua.govt.nz/ewasterecycling for more information on prices, what you can recycle and where.

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