Where to drop off e-waste in Auckland suburbs

Over 30 e-waste drop-off days will be held around Auckland suburbs this year.

Auckland-based company Computer Recycling will be hosting over 30 e-waste drop-off days around the city in 2021, providing opportunities for locals to stop their e-waste from ending up in local landfills.

Click here for English translationRukutia ngā kiato o Tāne, rukutia te papa o Tāne, rukutia ngā tangata kia ū kia mau. Nā te tūponotanga ohorere ka hua mai tētehi herenga rangatira e noho ngātahi ai he kamupene pakupaku Māori me he kamupene Pākehā.

The average Kiwi produces more than 20 kilograms of e-waste per year - one of the highest per capita amounts globally - and New Zealand is the only country in the OECD without a national e-waste scheme.

Computer Recycling is working with neighbourhood groups to facilitate over 30 collection days – dubbed "CR E-days". Local community centres across Auckland have volunteered their spaces to facilitate the events, allowing Kiwis to dispose of their e-waste responsibly.

Click here for English translation.

The company will also be using the collection. events to fundraise for Variety – The Children's Charity. All charity donations made by the public during the CR E-days will be matched by Computer Recycling

The first four events of 2021 will be held on:

· 30th of January 2021 at First Presbyterian Church Papakura

· 6th of February 2021 at Green Bay High school

· 27th of February 2021 at Mt Albert Baptist Church

· 6th March 2021 at Massey University East Precinct Albany Expressway, SH17, Albany

In 2020, in three days Computer Recycling says it was able to collect and divert over 18,000kg of discarded electronic waste otherwise destined for landfill. In total, over 400 households came through the events to drop-off their unwanted electronics.

"Our goal for the CR E-day events is to collect and divert over 300,000kgs of e-waste from landfill in 2021," says Computer Recycling owner and director Patrick Moynahan.

"There is no New Zealand-based framework or legislation as to how Kiwis dispose of their unwanted e-waste, but so far it has been really encouraging to see how much people are looking to do the right thing when it comes to disposing of their old tech."

All e-waste collected from the events is brought back to Computer Recycling's site in Onehunga. From there, the waste is sorted, graded, and split into two categories: reuse or recycling.

Reuse

Any items that still may have a second life, Computer Recycling's team of technicians will delete any data still left on the device and remove any markings. The items will then be refurbished to a usable condition and sold back into the community.

Recycle

Items that can no longer be re-used are dismantled by Recycling Technicians. The different components are separated and graded as either general scrap metals or e-scrap. All e-scrap is exported under Environmental Protection Agency permits to facilities in Asia and Europe to be turned into base elements to be used again.

Of the 80,000 tonnes of e-waste created each year in New Zealand, it is estimated less than 2 per cent of that is recycled.