Record e-waste haul for Plett

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The e-waste collection drive held in Bitou this past weekend was a massive success, with a record haul collected.

The drive aimed to help residents get rid of their electronic waste in a responsible manner instead of sending it to landfill.

The drive was a collaborative effort between the Keep Plett Clean campaign, Bitou Municipality, and LG E-Waste.

Residents brought their e-waste to the parking area at the Piesang Valley Hall on Saturday 4 September where it was collected and taken for responsible disposal.

A 4-ton and a 1-ton truck as well as a municipal bakkie were completely filled. According to e-waste collectors, this was the most e-waste they had collected in four years, and they did so in just a few hours, from 09:00 to 14:00.

Alison Bryant of the Keep Plett Clean Campaign said the most numerous items collected were batteries, fridges and microwaves, but residents brought along a variety of items including cellphones, printers, tumble dryers, televisions, computers, laptops, kettles, toasters, hairdryers, tools and leads.

According to the World Health Organisation, e-waste volumes are surging globally. The Global E-Waste Statistics Partnership (GESP) reported that e-waste grew by 21% in the five years up to 2019 when 53,6-million metric tons of e-waste were generated. Only 17,4% of e-waste produced in 2019 reached formal management or recycling facilities.

The GESP estimates that the 17,4% of e-waste collected and appropriately recycled prevented as much as 15-million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents from being released into the environment.

Plettenberg Bay's recent e-waste collection campaign was a massive success.