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NZ Firm Invests In Eco E-waste Plant To Help Stop Our Landfills Being Poisoned

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.”

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