More than 1.2 tonnes of electronic waste has been saved from going to landfill due to the initiative run by Council, the Tairāwhiti Environment Centre and Tech Collect NZ.

The Tairāwhiti Environment Centre has been the drop-off point for e-waste. In November they received 1.2 tonnes of it with December’s drop-offs expected to weigh even more.

Tairawhiti Environment Centre manager Rena Kohere says the community response to this scheme has been “outstanding”.

“It is the largest amount we have ever received.”

Council’s Waste Minimisation Team partnered with Tech Collect NZ to trial this e-waste initiative in Tairāwhiti.

Council Community Lifelines Solid Waste Manager Phil Nickerson says the e-waste diverted from landfills will be repurposed within New Zealand.

“We have been told by Tech Collect this is the largest amount they have ever received in a pilot scheme for a month.

“It shows two things, there is demand in our region for alternatives other than sending e-waste to landfills and we are also great hoarders of electronics in this region.

“We’d like to thank Rena and her team at the Tairāwhiti Environment Centre who have been doing the hard yards for the past two months packing pallets with e-waste to send away to be repurposed.”

E-waste includes old computers, printers, cameras, and is one of the fastest-growing categories of waste clogging up our landfills.

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