When it comes to minimising waste many of us focus on what can be done in our homes or when we hit the grocery store. It is easy to overlook our office’s as the products that call this space home have relatively long life cycles. The average New Zealander produces more than 20kgs of e-waste every year. This is one of the highest rates of e-waste per capita on the planet. Not so funnily enough, we are the only country in the entire OECD without a national e-waste scheme. At the moment only around 2% of our e-waste is recycled every year. This means that tens of thousands of tonnes worth of valuable materials end up in our already overflowing landfills.

E-waste can be a hazardous material if not disposed of properly and minimising risk for our communities should be our government’s number one priority. Moving towards a low-carbon economy will require a significant increase in renewable energy and electric vehicles. Both require large batteries to function. 2020 saw an estimated 1,000 electric vehicle batteries reaching the end of their useful lives. By 2030 it is estimated this amount could reach 84,000 each year. Mis-managed large batteries also pose risk of fire if they end up in the landfill. They can release toxins into the environment as heavy metals are released during degradation.

Aotearoa clearly faces challenges in the technology sector when it comes to educating our people about product life cycles and e-waste. Unfortunately, consumerism has duped us into believing that when our technological devices die it must be the end of the road; on to the next new and improved model, despite the painful punch to our pockets. However, much of the tech material that ends up as trash could be reused or recycled; saving New Zealanders a lot of money.

We believe that New Zealand needs to adopt a circular economy when it comes to our technology. This would involve a multi-step approach to divert as much of this waste as possible. To fix our tech problem, our communities need to focus on behaviour change. This will ultimately come from a push towards improved education and support. Resources need to be accessible if we are to divert waste from our landfills. 

We need to:

• Encourage and support the development of tech skills and a STEM focus within high schools

• Provide students with the skills and tools they need to start a technology based career pathway

• Get devices to those who need them most - young people and whanau currently most effected by the digital divide; those who need devices to participate in school, work and everyday life.

Recycle A Device is an initiative aiming to reuse our resources, improve public knowledge and facilitate change in the technology sector from a community based perspective. Recycle A Device encourages businesses, schools, learning institutions and individuals to participate in a circular waste economy. Proposed updates in stewardship regulations will hopefully mean our e-waste problem is better understood by our communities; enabling us to enact best sustainability practices. 

In July 2020, the Government announced six products to be declared ‘priority products’ for the establishment of regulated product stewardship schemes under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 (WMA). Electrical and electronic products (e-waste including large batteries) were included on this list. The Ministry for the Environment is working with stakeholders to co-design product stewardship schemes for each priority product group. Regulated product stewardship is when regulations are used to increase circular resource use. The updated regulations will ensure the producers, importers and retailers must accept responsibility for managing the impact of a product upon the end of it’s life. This means that the responsibility will no longer fall on communities, councils, neighbourhoods and nature. 

Recycle A Device and Res.Awesome want there to be a well understood and scalable system in place before the product stewardship regulations are brought in. Although the new change in regulations should increase public awareness, it would be good for e-waste schemes to be readily available before the regulations are slowly finalised and introduced into society. RAD (Recycle A Device) have partnered up with RemarkIT for the ethical disposal of any e-waste resulting from the refurbishment process. RemarkIT has a great reputation and their processes are very transparent. RAD are confident in their ability to use ethical procedures when it comes to processing e-waste. They are also the only company in New Zealand processing e-waste to ISO standards (ASNZ5377 and ISO14001 certified) and they have generously offered to support RAD by processing their e-waste free of charge.

To learn more about how you can support RAD and their awesome cause check out some options below.

How to support RAD

Here are 3 options:

1. If you're at home, check your cupboards for laptops you don't use anymore (less than 10 years old, with a charger). To get them to RAD, please email them and they will give you all the details you need. Becks is based in Dunedin so can arrange a pick up (or you can drop off to her) to make things easier.

2. Should your workplace or company be interested in donating pre-loved laptops to RAD, they would love that! Receiving bulk donations is awesome! Get in touch to tell us who you think we should be reaching out too and RAD will get in touch.

3. Donate cash to fill our $153,000 budget hole for this year. RAD have huge plans, please help them achieve all their goals! Did you know that the RAD cost per device is $168? Refurbished laptops on the retail market sell for anywhere between $400-800!

Res.Awesome are fully behind this amazing initiative and we can’t wait for our followers to witness all the great work these eco-warriors are getting up to!

Let’s keep Aotearoa green, clean and free of toxic waste! 

Researched + Written by Erin Cox

Edited by Fi Clements