Less than half of Kiwi businesses recycle their e-waste

More than half of Kiwi businesses say they have not recycled their e-waste in the last year, according to an e-waste recycling organisation.

A survey commissioned by Echo, published today, found that 61% of businesses dispose of their e-waste inappropriately.

When asked why they didn’t recycle or dispose of their e-waste, 45% of business owners said they simply didn’t know what to do with their devices, while 35% said that they didn’t have time to dispose of their electronic waste. -waste properly.

E-waste is the fastest growing solid waste stream in the world, with 53.6 million tonnes produced globally in 2019, according to the World Health Organization.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, 19.2 kg of e-waste was generated per capita, higher than the OECD average of 17.1 kg and more than 2.5 times higher than the global average of 7.3 kg. Only 2% of this e-waste has been diverted from landfills and recycled properly.

Echo CEO Patrick Moynahan said the findings reflected the unsustainable habits of Kiwi business owners.

“With so many companies reporting that they have not properly recycled their e-waste over the past year, this indicates that a large number of items are potentially ending up in landfills rather than being disposed of properly. responsible,” Moynahan said in a statement.

“Clearly there is an emerging awareness and desire to properly dispose of e-waste in Kiwi businesses, but obvious challenges have emerged, and so it is difficult for people to know what the options are. “

Additionally, the survey reveals that half of all businesses (52%) believe they should do more to properly recycle their e-waste in the current sustainability climate.

However, only a quarter (25%) of Kiwi businesses said they had formal policies in place on how to properly dispose of e-waste, while almost half (44%) had no policies in place. corporate social responsibility or sustainable development.

“A landfill for electronic waste”

“This paints a bleak picture of the state of e-waste disposal across the country and indicates that Aotearoa is becoming a digital dump for e-waste,” he said.

Moynahan said around 98,000 tonnes of e-waste ended up in landfills each year in New Zealand, highlighting a “major opportunity for improving sustainability across the country”.

“Kiwi business owners play a pivotal role in this, putting them firmly in the driver’s seat to consciously eliminate e-waste and contribute to Aotearoa New Zealand’s circular economy.

He called on New Zealand business leaders to “embrace change and make a difference in their own practices”.

“We encourage anyone interested in improving their sustainability practices to think about how they dispose of e-waste.”