‘Ditch your obsolete tech responsibly’ is the message Auckland Council wants Aucklanders to heed on International E-Waste Day, as thousands of computers potentially become obsolete with the end of support for Windows 10.
Tuesday 14 October marks International E-Waste Day, the same day support ends for Windows 10. To prevent environmental harm and reduce the risk of fires in waste collection trucks, Auckland Council is urging residents to recycle their end-of-life electronics responsibly.
Visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/whereitgoes to find your nearest recycling location.
Batteries and electronics in rubbish or recycling bins can be damaged as part of the waste collection process and ignite fires, endangering staff and the public, and damaging trucks and facilities.
Auckland Council Senior Waste Operations Safety Specialist Lyndon Collie says Auckland’s waste collection trucks experienced a record nine fires in January alone, with a further four before the end of March.
“We’ve only had a couple of truck fires this winter, but as the weather warms up and people start spring cleaning and ditching their old tech in favour of new devices in the Christmas sales, the risk skyrockets.”
Next month, Auckland Council is planning further controlled lithium-ion battery fire tests in a waste truck as a follow up to its initial trial earlier in the year, that aimed to understand how battery fires start inside trucks and how they can be extinguished quickly and safely.
“Our world-first trial in February provided valuable insights, but to strengthen our initial findings, we need more robust data, specifically on air and water contamination inside the truck during a fire, and the effectiveness of different extinguishing methods,” says Mr Collie.
Aucklanders can help avoid the need for such measures through proper disposal.
“Responsible disposal and recycling your e-waste not only prevent the risk of fires but also helps Auckland on our journey to zero waste by 2040. These actions conserve valuable resources and support a circular economy,” says Mr Collie.
This year’s International E-Waste Day theme focuses on critical raw materials – rare earth elements that are increasingly in demand, often mined in only a few countries and are non-renewable. Materials commonly found in electronics can be recovered and recycled, but only if devices are disposed of responsibly, handled with care, and taken to appropriate recycling facilities.
Aucklanders are encouraged to use designated drop-off points for e-waste:
- To dispose of a still-working laptop, contact the Recycle A Device (RAD) programme, a non-profit organisation that refurbishes laptops for those in most need, while giving school students skills to repair them.
- TechCollect NZ and Noel Leeming accept laptops and accessories, even if they weren’t purchased there.
- Community E-waste Collection Days hosted by Echo (formerly known as Computer Recycling). Check the Echo website for their calendar of collections days.
- Some community recycling centres accept e-waste for a small fee.
