Electronic waste in New Zealand

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Bin full of E Waste taken at Computer Recycling Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand (2019) E waste bin.jpg
Bin full of E Waste taken at Computer Recycling Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand (2019)
An electronic waste stockpile in Christchurch (2004). Electronic waste stockpile, Christchurch, New Zealand.JPG
An electronic waste stockpile in Christchurch (2004).

Electronic waste in New Zealand is an environmental issue being addressed by community and government initiatives.

Contents

E-waste is the fastest-growing toxic waste stream in New Zealand. Every year, as of 2017, New Zealand generates approximately 99,000 tonnes (20.1 kg per capita) of electronic waste, of which 97,000 tonnes is disposed of in landfills. New Zealand produces among the highest volumes of e-waste in the world while having among the lowest documented recycling rates. It is estimated that by 2030, New Zealand will generate 28.7kg of e-waste per capita without recycling or 27.1kg with recycling initiatives.

In the past, there have been two Government-funded takeback initiatives: the e-Day collections, and the TV takeback campaign. E-waste recycling services provided by local government vary by council with some providing free recycling services, [1] while other councils provide user pays services or rely on the private sector. [2]

New Zealand is the only country in the OECD without a national e-waste scheme. [3] While New Zealand has AS/NZS standards for e-waste recycling practices, these are not mandatory. Government led e-waste recycling initiatives have been historically hampered by a lack of data. [4] In 2020, e-waste was designated as a priority waste stream requiring mandatory product stewardship.

Background

In 2017 the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) noted that New Zealand and Australia produced the highest volumes of e-waste per capita in the world while having amongst the lowest documented rates of recycling. [5] While estimates vary according to methodology, a 2020 UN report estimates New Zealand to produce 19.2kg of e-waste per capita. This is above the OECD average of 17.1kg and more than 2.5 times higher than the world average of 7.3kg. [6] 2% of the generated e-waste is estimated to be diverted from landfill. Approximately 23.9kg of new electronics per capita is put on the New Zealand market every year. [7]

A report produced for the Ministry for the Environment, estimated that New Zealand will generate 28.7 kg of e-waste per capita by 2030 without recycling and 27.1kg with recycling. [8] The largest predicted sources of waste in 2030 without recycling are large household appliances (10.1 kg), information technology and communications equipment (7.1 kg), electrical and electronic tools (3.8kg), consumer equipment (3.6kg) and small household appliances (3.1kg). [8] [note 1]

Public response

A 2006 survey showed that two-thirds of respondents were willing to pay for safe disposal of electronic waste such as televisions and computers. The remainder were unwilling to pay anything or were unsure. The survey also showed that 85% were willing to take items to a neighbourhood collection point. [9] A survey conducted on eDay in 2008, found that 26% of respondents attended the recycling event because they needed the space taken up by their old devices. [10]

A case study of 249 Whangarei households conducted in 2018, found that participants were split on who to blame for the electronic waste problem. A slightly larger proportion of households surveyed believed that consumers are not to blame. 57 percent of respondents rated the current national approach to e-waste as poor or very bad. [2]

A 2019 Consumer NZ survey found that 63% of New Zealanders surveyed claimed to be concerned about e-waste. [11]

Takeback initiatives

Electronic waste being collected during eDay in Dunedin, 2008 EDay Dunedin 2008 2911215656 babb075ccd o.jpg
Electronic waste being collected during eDay in Dunedin, 2008

In the past, there have been a number of temporary and targeted recycling initiatives supported by the New Zealand government including eDay and the TV takeback program. No such national government programs are currently running, however there are a number of initiatives by local governments, communities and the private sector.

eDay

eDay was a nationwide collection programme for electronic waste which ran from 2006 to 2010 in up to 53 different locations. [12] An estimated total of 3200 tonnes of electronic waste were collected and recycled. The 1000 tonnes collected in 2008 equates to approximately 10% of electrical and electronic devices imported in a year and less than 5% of historic electronic waste. [13] The event did not run in 2011 or any subsequent year, because the government ceased to provide funding. [14]

CR E-Days

As of 2020 E-waste recycler Computer Recycling Ltd facilitates 'CR E-Days' hosted at different community locations in Auckland throughout each year. [15] These are drive-thru electronic waste recycling events, allowing visitors to unload and recycling old, unwanted or broken tech or electronic equipment. Due to Community participation in CR E-Days, Computer Recycling has able to collect and divert over 300,000 kilos of discarded electronic waste otherwise destined for landfill.

Legislation

New Zealand does not have national policy, regulation or legislation for e-waste as defined by the UN due to the absence of extended producer responsibility principles in the regulation of e-waste. [16] [6] It is globally among the 60% of countries not covered by such policy, however, is the only country in the OECD. The New Zealand populace is part of the minority (29%) of the world's population not covered by extended producer responsibility policy. [6] There are, however, a number of waste policies in force which impact the generation and disposal of e-waste.

International conventions

New Zealand signed the Basel Convention in 1989 and ratified it in 1994. [17] The Basel Convention is an international treaty to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste (including e-waste) from developed to less developed countries.

It was not until 2006 that the first application was made for export of hazardous waste under the Basel Convention. [18]

Waste Minimisation Act

The main legislation which regulates e-waste is the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 which enables the provision of voluntary and mandatory product stewardship programmes, introduced levies on waste sent to landfills and distributes the raised funds to waste minimisation projects via the Waste Minimisation Fund. Product stewardship programmes are developed jointly by industry and government and place the responsibility for managing the life cycle of a product with the manufacturer, importer, retailer and user of the product. These programmes aim to shift the environmental costs of waste arising from the products from the taxpayer and consumer primarily to the producer such that the end of life of a product is considered in the producer's design and business decisions. [19]

A 2015 report commissioned by the Ministry for the Environment, found that there was insufficient data about the e-waste stream to satisfy the requirements of the Waste Minimisation Act for priority product designation. The act requires the Minister for the environment to be confident that waste stream causes "significant environmental harm" or that there are benefits from recycling the waste stream. [8] The majority of stakeholders consulted on behalf of the Ministry for the Environment supported priority product designation for all e-waste in the European Union categories except automatic dispensers. Support was more marginal for toys, leisure, sports and medical equipment. [8] Consultations with the general public in 2019 found that 96% of submitters that stated a position on priority product designation for e-waste supported the measure. [20]

Despite no mandatory product stewardship, it is possible to be accredited for a voluntary stewardship programme. SHARP, RE:MOBILE and Fuji Xerox are among the organisations accredited for the voluntary programme. [21]

In June 2020, Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage announced that electronic waste would be one of the six new products to be classified as a priority product. [22]

Consumer Guarantees Act

As a result of the Consumer Guarantees Act, all goods sold in New Zealand have an implicit guarantee requiring them to be reasonably durable. If this guarantee is broken, manufacturers must either repair or replace the goods. Manufacturers must also take 'reasonable action' to ensure the availability of repair facilities and spare parts for a 'reasonable' period following the sale of the goods unless the consumer is notified at the time of purchase that repair or spare parts are not available. If the guarantee regarding spare parts and repair facilities is not met, the manufacturer must again repair or replace the goods. [23]

A 2022 investigation by Consumer NZ, found that cheaper food mixers under The Warehouse and Kmart brands returned under warranty with a simple fault (a disconnected wire) were sent to landfill without attempts to perform a repair. A more expensive mixer by Breville was sent for repair and subsequently resold as a refurbished product at a fraction of the original price, while a Kenwood/De'Longhi mixer was recycled. [24]

Government & Private Industry initiatives

In 2010, $400,000 was allocated towards setting up collection depots and recycling centres around New Zealand. [25]

In 2021, Computer Recycling Ltd brought the first-of-its-kind BLUBOX e-waste technology to Aotearoa. [26] The machine is one of eight in the world and was switched on for the first time at Computer Recycling in Penrose on April 21 with the help of the Hon. David Parker, Minister for the Environment. The technology shreds and sorts e-waste in an enclosed negative pressure system, recovering up to 90 percent of components. The BLUBOX project was supported by the Ministry for the Environment, who provided $1.5million towards the project in the form of a grant from The Waste Minimisation Fund - Te Pūtea Whakamauru Para.

Export

Only e-waste destined for scrapping is monitored under the Basil Convention, so it is not possible to determine the total amount of e-waste exported. In 2020, New Zealand companies under the Basil convention exported approximately 19,000 tons of e-waste primarily to South Korea (98%) with the remainder sent to Japan and Belgium. [27] The countries are not likely to be the end destination for all the components and materials of the exported e-waste. As of December 2022, there are active permits permitting 35,000 tons of e-waste exports under the Basil convention. [28]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ See EU legislation for examples of appliances in each category

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Product stewardship</span> Managing the environmental impact of different products and materials

Product stewardship is an approach to managing the environmental impacts of different products and materials and at different stages in their production, use and disposal. It acknowledges that those involved in producing, selling, using and disposing of products have a shared responsibility to ensure that those products or materials are managed in a way that reduces their impact, throughout their lifecycle, on the environment and on human health and safety. This approach focusses on the product itself, and everyone involved in the lifespan of the product is called upon to take up responsibility to reduce its environmental, health, and safety impacts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extended producer responsibility</span> Strategy designed to promote the integration of environmental costs associated with goods

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a strategy to add all of the estimated environmental costs associated with a product throughout the product life cycle to the market price of that product, contemporarily mainly applied in the field of waste management. Such societal costs are typically externalities to market mechanisms, with a common example being the impact of cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic waste recycling</span> Form of recycling

Electronic waste recycling, electronics recycling, or e-waste recycling is the disassembly and separation of components and raw materials of waste electronics; when referring to specific types of e-waste, the terms like computer recycling or mobile phone recycling may be used. Like other waste streams, reuse, donation, and repair are common sustainable ways to dispose of IT waste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic waste</span> Discarded electronic devices

Electronic waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. It is also commonly known as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or end-of-life (EOL) electronics. Used electronics which are destined for refurbishment, reuse, resale, salvage recycling through material recovery, or disposal are also considered e-waste. Informal processing of e-waste in developing countries can lead to adverse human health effects and environmental pollution. The growing consumption of electronic goods due to the Digital Revolution and innovations in science and technology, such as bitcoin, has led to a global e-waste problem and hazard. The rapid exponential increase of e-waste is due to frequent new model releases and unnecessary purchases of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), short innovation cycles and low recycling rates, and a drop in the average life span of computers.

Texas Campaign for the Environment (TCE) is a grassroots advocacy 501(c)(4) non-profit organization that works on health and environmental issues in the state of Texas in the United States. TCE began when its founders parted ways with Texans United in 1991. The organization has offices in Dallas, Austin, Houston, and Corpus Christi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recycling in the United Kingdom</span>

In 2015, 43.5% of the United Kingdom's municipal waste was recycled, composted or broken down by anaerobic digestion. The majority of recycling undertaken in the United Kingdom is done by statutory authorities, although commercial and industrial waste is chiefly processed by private companies. Local Authorities are responsible for the collection of municipal waste and operate contracts which are usually kerbside collection schemes. The Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 required local authorities in England to provide every household with a separate collection of at least two types of recyclable materials by 2010. Recycling policy is devolved to the administrations of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales who set their own targets, but all statistics are reported to Eurostat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basel Action Network</span> Nonprofit environmental organization

The Basel Action Network (BAN), a charitable non-governmental organization, works to combat the export of toxic waste from technology and other products from industrialized societies to developing countries. BAN is based in Seattle, Washington, United States, with a partner office in the Philippines. BAN is named after the Basel Convention, a 1989 United Nations treaty designed to control and prevent the dumping of toxic wastes, particularly on developing countries. BAN serves as an unofficial watchdog and promoter of the Basel Convention and its decisions.

eDay New Zealand ewaste collection initiative

eDay was a New Zealand initiative to hold an annual ewaste collection day, started as Computer Access New Zealand (CANZ) to raise awareness of the potential dangers associated with electronic waste and to offer the opportunity for such waste to be disposed of in an environmentally friendly fashion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste</span> Unwanted or unusable materials

Waste are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product, by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor economic value. A waste product may become a by-product, joint product or resource through an invention that raises a waste product's value above zero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste Minimisation Act 2008</span> Act of Parliament in New Zealand

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste in New Zealand</span>

The management of waste in New Zealand has become more regulated to reduce associated environmental issues. According to OECD data, New Zealand is the third most wasteful country in the OECD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic waste in the United States</span>

Electronic waste or e-waste in the United States refers to electronic products that have reached the end of their operable lives, and the United States is beginning to address its waste problems with regulations at a state and federal level. Used electronics are the quickest-growing source of waste and can have serious health impacts. The United States is the world leader in producing the most e-waste, followed closely by China; both countries domestically recycle and export e-waste. Only recently has the United States begun to make an effort to start regulating where e-waste goes and how it is disposed of. There is also an economic factor that has an effect on where and how e-waste is disposed of. Electronics are the primary users of precious and special metals, retrieving those metals from electronics can be viewed as important as raw metals may become more scarce

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic waste by country</span>

Electronic waste is a significant part of today's global, post-consumer waste stream. Efforts are being made to recycle and reduce this waste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile phone recycling</span>

Mobile phone recycling describes the waste management of mobile phones, to retrieve materials used in their manufacture. Rapid technology change, low initial cost, and planned obsolescence have resulted in a fast-growing surplus, which contributes to the increasing amount of electronic waste around the globe.

Electronic waste or e-waste in China refers to electronic products that are no longer usable and are therefore dumped or recycled. China is the world's largest importer and producer of electronic waste with over 70% of all global e-waste ending up in the world's largest dumpsites. An estimated 60–80% of this e-waste is handled through illegal informal recycling processes, without the necessary safety precautions legally required by Chinese government regulations. Processing e-waste in this way directly causes serious environmental damage and permanent health risks in areas surrounding the disposal sites. While the Chinese government and the international community have taken action to regulate e-waste management, ineffective enforcement, legislative loopholes, and the pervasiveness of informal recycling have been obstacles to mitigating the consequences of e-waste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recycling in Australia</span> Method of waste management in Australia

Recycling in Australia is a widespread, and comprehensive part of waste management in Australia, with 60% of all waste collected being recycled. Recycling is collected from households, commercial businesses, industries and construction. Despite its prominence, household recycling makes up only a small part (13%) of Australia's total recycling. It generally occurs through kerbside recycling collections such as the commingled recycling bin and food/garden organics recycling bin, drop-off and take-back programs, and various other schemes. Collection and management of household recycling typically falls to local councils, with private contractors collecting commercial, industrial and construction recycling. In addition to local council regulations, legislation and overarching policies are implemented and managed by the state and federal governments.

A take-back system or simply takeback is one of the primary channels of waste collection, especially for e-waste, besides municipal sites. Take-back is the idea that manufacturers and sellers "take back" the products that are at the end of their lives. Take-back is aimed to reduce a business' environmental impacts on the earth and also increase efficiency and lower costs for their business models. "Take-back regulations have targeted a wide array of products including packaging, batteries, automobiles, and electronics", and economic value can be found from recycling or re-manufacturing such products. "The programs benefit municipalities by lowering their overall waste disposal costs and reducing the burden on landfill sites". Although for certain companies, the take-back system is mandatory under legislation, many do it voluntarily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste management in Australia</span> Waste management in Australia

Waste management in Australia started to be implemented as a modern system by the second half of the 19th century, with its progresses driven by technological and sanitary advances. It is currently regulated at both federal and state level. The Commonwealth's Department of the Environment and Energy is responsible for the national legislative framework.

Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) waste, or e-waste, is illegally brought into African states every year. A minimum of 250,000 metric tons of e-waste comes into the continent, and according to the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, the majority of it in West Africa enters from Europe. Developed countries commodify underdeveloped African states as dumping grounds for their e-waste, and due to poor regulations and a lack of enforcement institutions, illegal dumping is promoted. Currently, the largest e-waste dumping site in Africa is Agbogbloshie in Ghana. While states like Nigeria do not contain e-waste sites as concentrated as Agbogbloshie, they do have several small sites.

References

  1. ↑ "Buller District Council, New Zealand » E-waste collection" . Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  2. 1 2 Blake, Vicktoria; Farrelly, Trisia; Hannon, Jonathon (2019). "Is Voluntary Product Stewardship for E-Waste Working in New Zealand? A Whangarei Case Study". Sustainability. 11 (11): 3063. doi: 10.3390/su11113063 .
  3. ↑ Donovan, Emile (2020-02-16). "The Detail: New Zealand's e-waste problem". Stuff. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  4. ↑ Blake, Victoria (2018). The e-waste management behaviours of household consumers in Whangarei, New Zealand (PDF) (Master). Massey University.
  5. ↑ "UN-backed body 'right' to single out New Zealand as an e-waste laggard". 14 December 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 (PDF) (Report). 2020.
  7. ↑ "Statistics". E-Waste. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  8. 1 2 3 4 E-waste Product Stewardship Framework for New Zealand (PDF) (Report). 26 June 2015.
  9. ↑ Electrical and Electronic Equipment Disposal Survey April 2006: A Quantitative Report. ME764. Ministry for the Environment. April 2006. ISBN   0-478-25999-9. Archived from the original on 2010-05-26. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
  10. ↑ e-Waste Survey for eDay 2008 (PDF) (Report). November 2008. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  11. ↑ "Consumer issues survey". Consumer NZ. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  12. ↑ "Tonnes of eDay waste in storage". Stuff. 2011-01-03. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  13. ↑ Hoeveler, Jennifer-Ann (1 January 2009). "International Approaches to dealing with electronic waste". New Zealand Journal of Environmental Law. 13: 117–160 – via HeinOnline.
  14. ↑ http://www.eday.org.nz/template/media_questions__answers.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  15. ↑ "Where to drop off e-waste in Auckland suburbs". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  16. ↑ "Electronic Waste / E-Waste / WEEE". Compliance & Risks. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  17. ↑ "Importing or Exporting Waste in New Zealand (Basel Convention): Requirements" (PDF). Ministry of Economic Development. November 2004. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  18. ↑ Beston, Anne (12 August 2006). "'Toxic time bombs' ticking away". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  19. ↑ "2 Product Stewardship". Ministry for the Environment. 2005-07-01. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  20. ↑ "Proposed priority products and priority product stewardship scheme guidelines: Summary of submissions". Ministry for the Environment. 2020-07-01. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  21. ↑ "Government-accredited schemes". SBN product stewardship. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  22. ↑ "Government to regulate environmentally harmful plastic packaging, tyres, e-waste". The Beehive. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  23. ↑ "Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 No 91 (as at 29 October 2019), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation". www.legislation.govt.nz. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  24. ↑ "What happens to broken kitchen appliances when they're returned to retailers?". 1 News. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  25. ↑ Beehive (6 October 2010). "Govt steps up e-waste recycling". NZ Government. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  26. ↑ "Computer Recycling unveils new machine to deal with NZ's huge e-waste problem". RNZ. 2022-04-21. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  27. ↑ "FeedbackServer Administration". ers.basel.int. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  28. ↑ "Current permits for hazardous waste". www.epa.govt.nz. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
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