The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is going on an environmental tangent, and is defying the wishes of the Environment Ministry, by scrapping the region's annual eDay event.
Tauranga residents dumping old electronics at last year's eDay at Baypark.
eDay is a national event designed to raise awareness of the benefits of recycling computers and the hazardous nature of electronic waste.
It also offers an easy way for households and schools to dispose of old computers and mobile phones in an environmentally safe way.
Last year Tauranga residents dumped 57 tonnes of ‘e-waste'.
Environment Bay of Plenty pollution prevention manager Bruce Gardner, says research into the costs of eDay indicates the money would be better spent on long term solutions.
'As a result in Tauranga, for example, we are currently working with Tauranga City Council and a local computer recycler to enable an every day solution for the Tauranga community rather than a yearly one-off event.”
He says that when the Ministry of Environment threw its support behind the event this year, the time of the announcement only left a month for it to be organised.
'We are confident that the new option we are working on with Tauranga City Council will provide the community with all the best options to increase e-waste collection.”
Tauranga resident Richard Tustain was looking forward to dumping his e-waste this year.
'We're always told that it's not good if it goes to a landfill. I feel it's important it's disposed of in the correct manner.”
'I think it's important all the components are broken down and they extract the bad things with heavy metals so it doesn't have a negative impact on the environment.”
Richard says he supports the decision to plan long term solutions to tackle e-waste.
Bruce says there will be ‘passionate' people who are disappointed by the decision.
'The changes we're working on should mean improved options for recycling e-waste in our region.”
'We want to create long term local solutions so that manufacturers are kept accountable and people are able to always recycle e-waste throughout the year.”
5 comments
Forward thinking
Posted on 28-10-2010 09:45 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
Now that's what I'm talking about Tauranga, a bit of forward planning in the efforts to reduce expenditure. I'm not going to wait a whole year to dump an old CRT monitor I dont want or a busted cellphone, if its possible to dispose of these things year round there will be less of it in the landfill!
Keep your eyes on their hands
Posted on 28-10-2010 09:53 | By Writerman
Always providing a 'long-term solution' is actually sought and EBOP doesn't just lose the whole in a pile of paperwork, this could be a good thing. BUT we will have to keep our eyes on them and make sure this is not simply an excuse to avoid the hassle of organising the collection day. Remember, politicians are seldom dealing the cards from the top of the pack. Watch out for the knaves!
Long term solution is easy
Posted on 28-10-2010 11:29 | By Bronzewing
I have just returned from the US where I purchased a laptop in California. Added to the purchase price was a $14 fee to cover recycling. All lcd screens 100mm or greater incur the fee. It is scaled on size. Surely something along those lines would work here. I have always thought the current system was flawed where I could dump a CRT computer screen yet couldn't dump a TV made using the same technology
Free recycling?
Posted on 28-10-2010 11:52 | By claypole
I must be 'a passionate person who is disappointed'. 'scuse me but we're in the 21st C. and nothing is in place. Stop being reactive and become proactive. Council should have watched what happens in the UK where skips are lined up at a recycle place for specific items (no charge). Maybe they did and are ashamed at whats in place in 'clean green NZ' Costs should be collected at source, ie when you buy them so that funds are available to make the recycling process free. Thats a political nightmare and central and regional government dont have the balls to see beyond the throw-away society that NZ is.
The Toner Shop
Posted on 29-10-2010 11:18 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
We recycle printer laser cartridges, that would otherwise usually end up landfill, ph Shane 5768178 . 39 Otumoetai Rd
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