e-Waste from electrical and electronic appliances and devices is becoming a major problem for South Africa.
 
According to Gauteng’s government website, the country produces around 360,000 tons of e-waste every year, with the province accounting for 55% of that volume.
 
"Consumers need to be better educated on how to properly dispose of their appliances if we are to avoid an environmental catastrophe," says Patricia Schröder, spokesperson for the official producer responsibility organisation (PRO) Circular Energy.
 
New Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation puts the onus on importers and/or manufacturers of these products to ensure environmentally sound management of their products which could include recycling of their products. However, the initiative could be severely hampered if consumers don’t know what to do with their old appliances.
 
What is e-waste?
e-waste comprises most electrical and electronic appliances or devices found in the typical South African household or business. These include domestic appliances, power tools, digital devices and computers, electricity generation and storage devices, lighting, reusable and disposable batteries, cables and the like.
 
Such appliances and accessories should never be disposed of in normal refuse bins, dumping grounds or landfills. They are likely to contain materials that are potentially explosive, poisonous or otherwise hazardous to humans and animals, and will contaminate surrounding areas as they break down. Additionally, be wary of companies that encourage you the consumer to take you appliance to a “smashing centre” to smash the appliance with a bat for fun or for you to release frustration, this is an unhealthy and unsafe practice and is not legal in accordance with the National Environmental Management Waste Act of 2008, and it could result in fines.
 
"Therefore, they require specialised handling, recycling and treatment by suitably qualified persons within safely isolated environments," says Schröder.
 
In addition, e-waste lost to landfill means that scarce resources which could have been harvested and recycled must now be mined afresh.
 
How to dispose of appliances
Sure, it is easier to throw an old appliance in the municipal bin or skip. Yet, with a little research, consumers will discover alternatives that are far safer and more environmentally responsible. Circular Energy offers a dedicated collection service for your used or waste electric or electronic equipment, lighting or lighting equipment, and batteries. You can visit the Circular Energy website and navigate to the “click to collect” button to arrange for the collection of your e-waste.
 
Making appliance disposal intuitive
As EPR becomes entrenched in South African industry and retail, consumer education and involvement will be key to controlling e-waste.
 
It is also imperative that a two-way supply chain is established to ensure that disposal of e-waste is as natural, intuitive and easy as buying an appliance in the first place.
 
“There’s still a lot of work to be done towards that end but consumers can contribute now by making full use of the avenues already available to them," says Schröder.
 
ENDS
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Rosa-Mari Le Roux , 060 995 6277, rosa-mari@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za 
 
For more information on Circular Energy please visit:
Website: https://www.circular-energy.org/ 
LinkedIn: Circular Energy

Regulations are not enough to help South Africa move to a circular economy. Without the support of an innovative and well-developed recycling and waste management sector, the country’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations can inadvertently enable greenwashing and inhibit real environmental impact.
 
South Africa joined international efforts to reduce pollution and environmental degradation through the introduction of The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations in May 2021. These regulations hold producers – which include manufacturers, importers, and brand owners –responsible for the complete lifecycle of the products they sell. This obligates producers to take responsibility for where their products and packaging ultimately end up at end of life by requiring them to join a producer responsibility organisation (PRO) that facilitates this process.
 
The dangers of greenwashing in EPR
But Patricia Schröder, spokesperson for the producer responsibility organisation (PRO) Circular Energy, says ensuring that producers are compliant with regulations is not enough to establish an effective EPR system in the country. “The circular economy needs both producers who are committed to meeting regulations and a system of service providers with the necessary skills and resources to carry out the work on the ground. If all aspects of the system are not in place, EPR can end up facilitating greenwashing by enabling companies to meet regulatory requirements on paper only.”
 
Greenwashing involves a company enhancing – or fabricating – the environmental impact of its services and products or creating the false impression that it is taking effective steps to curb the environmental impact of its business activities. Schröder says service providers are critical to ensuring that the commitments made by producers can be fulfilled in practice.
 
“Service providers are needed to ensure that waste is collected and then recycled as it should be and that we develop and expand the country’s recycling and waste management capacity. For example, the intention to recycle is void if consumers return used products only for most of the material they contain to ultimately end up in a landfill because the technology or capacity to recycle it is not available,” she says.
 
The importance of collaboration for growth
In the recently gazetted Household Hazardous Waste Management Strategy, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) again highlighted the opportunities for and the importance of collaboration between stakeholders throughout the product and waste management value chain, including public entities and private service providers.
 
The draft strategy recognises that public-private partnerships can help to improve efficiency in waste collection systems, attract technical expertise and increase capital investment in waste management systems. It also recognises the important role that the informal waste sector continues to play in the country’s existing waste management systems. Schröder says EPR regulations can impact and benefit many waste management and recycling service providers – including those in the informal sector like waste pickers.

She says service providers should also play an active part in developing the EPR system as it has the potential to become a great catalyst for growth in their sector. “This contributes to the best possible outcome for the environment, while also creating valuable economic opportunities and social impact. It will not only help to stimulate an increase in the overall recycling capacity of the country but can also help to inspire innovation in manufacturing and recycling.” 
 
ENDS
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Rosa-Mari Le Roux, rosa-mari@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za  
 
For more information on Circular Energy please visit:
Website: https://www.circular-energy.org/  
LinkedIn: Circular Energ

Every year on October 14, International E-Waste Day is observed.
 
This year, the major focus is those little electrical devices that we no longer use, but store in cabinets and drawers - or often simply throw in the regular trash.
 
According to Patricia Schröder, spokesperson for the producer responsibility organisation (PRO) Circular Energy NPC, recycling products in the correct way is much more important than most technology users realize.
 
Damage of e-waste is substantial
“The damage these seemingly small, obsolete electrical and electronic appliances can cause is considerable. According to UN estimates, about 22 million tonnes of tiny e-waste were produced globally in 2019. This amounts to 40% of the total of all electronic garbage generated worldwide,” she cautions.
 
“Items like cell phones, electric toothbrushes, toasters, and cameras count amongst the e-waste most frequently disposed of incorrectly - ending up in rubbish bins and eventually landfilled. This prevents the extraction of the valuable raw elements they contain, which is then lost.”
 
This while a much better solution is available: E-waste recycling! This is the process of extracting valuable materials after shredding the e-waste into small fractions that could be reused in a new electronic appliance.
 
Schröder adds that the average user discards more than 1 kg of e-waste every year.  "And much more than that is lying around in our homes, abandoned and forgotten, when it could be recycled successfully."
 
Take-back programs make responsible recycling easy
Schröder says despite the fact that proper end-of-life options is actually relatively easy, many individuals feel overwhelmed and end up throwing their e-waste in the regular trash.
 
“This is where PRO’s and our e-waste-focused take-back schemes can be of great assistance,” she explains. “Companies like Circular Energy that manage the collection of e-waste are constantly working to make the proper disposal simple and convenient for consumers.”
 
Such a take-back system focuses on the collection, recycling, and environmentally sound processing of waste electrical and electronic equipment, (WEEE), Lighting and Lighting and lighting Equipment, Batteries and Packaging.
 
Schröder suggests that communities and schools can get involved by encouraging pupils and citizens to collect and hand over as much e-waste as they can find on their homes on this day.
 
“Circular Energy NPC will gladly assist with your take-back process to ensure it is recycled in the most environmentally friendly way possible.
 
“Kids can even make it a fun treasure hunt by going through their homes, looking for appropriate items,” she says.
 
Small e-waste includes items like batteries, cords, computer mice, cellphones, electric toothbrushes. And the larger items are computers, monitors, keyboards, scanners, printers and televisions, amongst others.
 
“Tackling the e-waste issue as a community and committing to a take-back program, makes responsible recycling fun,” Schröder concludes. “This all whilst putting the ‘more difficult’ work in the hands of the e-waste experts.”
 
ENDS
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Rosa-Mari Le Roux , 060 995 6277, rosa-mari@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za 
 
For more information on Circular Energy please visit:
Website: https://www.circular-energy.org/ 
LinkedIn: Circular Energy