Residents of Johannesburg will now be able to dispose of broken and unwanted computers, cellphones, microwaves and other electronic equipment at 25 Pikitup garden sites across the city.
Pikitup is launching this new recycling initiative that is expected to have a positive impact on the city’s environment for decades with the assistance of the Swiss government. Johannesburg now becomes the second city in South Africa to set up public collection points for discarded electronic and electrical equipment, commonly referred to as E-Waste.
Pikitup has developed a business relationship with two E-Waste recycling companies to ensure that the E-Waste disposed of at its garden sites will be collected and properly dismantled at their recycling facilities.
“The E-Waste recycling is available free of charge to all residents of Johannesburg at our garden sites based throughout the city,” says Christa Venter, Pikitup’s Special Projects Manager.
“Recycling is becoming an increasingly important component of waste management strategies throughout the world. Its ability to minimise waste going to landfill sites, is responsible for its growing popularity. Pikitup, as the City of Johannesburg’s official waste management utility, continuously explores potential new waste management techniques that can be introduced to the city,” says Venter.
Companies and businesses that wish to dispose of their E-Waste should contact Pikitup’s call centre to make arrangements for the collection of their unwanted equipment. The disposal of obsolete equipment from both the business sector and individuals will be done free of charge.
The use of electronic and electric equipment has been steadily growing around the world. The unfortunate by-product of this electronic revolution is millions of obsolete products that have to be disposed of. For example, in 2004 more than 180 million PCs were sold worldwide. In the same year, an estimated 100 million obsolete PCs entered the waste streams.
“One way in which some of the developed countries dealt with their unwanted E-Waste was to pay developing countries for the right to dump the waste on their soil. This is not an acceptable solution as it potentially creates both an environmental disaster and a health hazard. The Basel and Bamako Conventions banned all imports of amongst others, E-Waste, into Africa and introduced control of transboundary movement of hazardous waste to counteract this practice, “says Venter.
In South Africa, it is estimated that between 1.2 and 1.5 million computers enter the market each year. Currently, E-Waste constitutes one of the fastest growing forms of waste around the world. It accounts for 8% of all municipal waste in Western countries.
About 70% of South Africa’s E-Waste is thought to be in storage, most of which is thought to be held by the government. This represents about 10 to 20 thousand tons of E-Waste, which is expected to double in ten years time to between 30 and 40 thousand tons.
To address this growing concern the e-Waste Association of South Africa (eWASA) partnered with the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing (EMPA) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (seco), to address the E-Waste phenomenon in South Africa. The initiative forms part of the Swiss Knowledge Partnership Programme, which includes pilot projects in India and China. Switzerland has successfully operated an E-Waste recycling system for more than a decade.
Pikitup’s initiative is part of the Green E-Waste Channel Gauteng, which is looking to establish collection points at all of the major Metros in the province. Similar channels have been established or are being established in the Western Cape and in KwaZulu-Natal.
“South Africa currently does not have specific legislation that deals with E-Waste. However, both the Polokwane Declaration and the National Waste Management Strategy of South Africa refer to a sustainable approach in waste management in general,” says Venter.
The garden sites where E-Waste can be disposed of are as follows:
1. Ballyclare Garden Site - Bryanston
2. Bez Valley Garden Site - Bez Valley
3. Club Street Garden Site - Linksfield
4. Fairland Garden Site - Fairland
5. Melrose Garden Site - Melrose
6. Norwood Garden Site - Norwood
7. Panorama Garden Site - Panorama, Roodepoort
8. Victory Park Garden Site - Victory Park
9. Sophiatown Garden Site - Border of Sophiatown and Albertskroon
10. Woodmead Garden Site - Woodmead Ext 15
11. Bangalore Drive Garden Site - Lenasia Ext 11
12. Cedar Road Garden Site - Kyalami, Midrand
13. Dale Road Garden Site - Kyalami, Midrand
14. East Road Garden Site - The Hill
15. Flamingo Garden Site - Lenasia Ext 6
16. Mayfield Park Garden Site - Mayfield Park
17. Mondeor Garden Site - Mondeor
18. Phillipi Road Garden Site - Eldorado Park Ext 4
19. Protea North Garden Site - Protea North, Soweto
20. Orlando Garden Site - Orlando, Soweto
21. Bellona Garden Site - Mayfair West
22. Circle Garden Site - Eldorado Park Ext 5
23. Robertsham Garden Site - Robertsham
24. Roodepoort West Garden Site- Roodepoort West
25. Mapetla Garden Site - Khama Street, Soweto
2006/10/26
