Residents of Mthatha and surrounding areas are being encouraged to dispose of broken electronic devices responsibly following the launch of a new e-waste recycling programme by South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment.
The initiative was introduced in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape as part of efforts to help local recyclers generate income while reducing the health and environmental risks caused by electronic waste. Residents are now being urged to sell damaged household electronics such as refrigerators, televisions, microwaves, irons and other appliances through designated buy-back centres.
For years, recyclers in the region have been forced to travel hundreds of kilometres to KwaZulu-Natal to sell recyclable waste, making the process costly and difficult. The newly launched programme aims to create easier access to recycling opportunities within the province.
Speaking at the launch, Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Bernice Swarts warned that many discarded electronic items contain hazardous substances that can threaten public health.
“These electronics contain lead and mercury that can make the community sick. So ours is to encourage people that when they have a broken fridge, iron or television, to not put them in the cupboards or the the garage, but to take them to what we call ‘buy-back centres’,” she said.
Swarts explained that the buy-back centres would also help authorities ensure that stolen goods are not being traded illegally.
“So, when you get there and you come with your South African identity document you get registered so that we make sure that the electronics are not stolen, but in fact belong to you,” she added.
The programme is expected to improve waste management in the Eastern Cape while creating economic opportunities for recyclers and protecting communities from dangerous electronic pollutants.
Image Credits :DEDEA EC
