Kiwis gather your old computer stuff

Electronic waste is a problem everywhere, though it’s great to see that in some places it’s now coming to have value:

Ewaste photo by Jizzon.

…what Japan refers to as urban mining — recycling the valuable metals and minerals from the country’s huge stockpiles of used electronics like cellphones and computers.

[Via Japan Recycles Rare Earth Minerals From Used Electronics - NYTimes.com.]

But while Japan may be making progress on recycling e-waste, for most of us old phones, computers, monitors and other computer-related items are a problem.

Fortunately, the annual New Zealand eDay is coming soon:

eDay 2010 will be held in more than 40 centres throughout New Zealand on Saturday 6 November 2010. Organisers are aiming to divert as much as 1,300 tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) from landfills, up from last year’s record of 976 tonnes. …

The aims of eDay

• Increase community awareness of the benefits of recycling computers and the hazardous nature of electronic equipment, making it clear that disposal in landfills is not a sustainable option.
• Provide a mechanism and convenient drop-off points for households, schools and community organisations to dispose of computer equipment and mobile phones that are no longer being used.
• Recycle obsolete computer and communications equipment in an environmentally sound manner.

Kiwis: have a good look around, in cupboards, in the shed or garage, under the desk. Do you have any computer stuff that could be taken along to eDay? Check their pages to see what they do and don’t accept, and where your nearest collection centre is.

Photo source: Jizzon, with a Creative Commons license.

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