NZ program recovers and recycles more than 177 tonnes of e-waste

The TechCollect NZ pilot program says its milestone of recovering and recycling more than 177 tonnes of ICT e-waste recognises the efforts of numerous individuals, businesses and community groups and their commitment to a sustainable future.

Established in November 2018, the TechCollect NZ pilot programme is a free national service available to all Kiwi households and small businesses looking to responsibly recycle their unwanted and end-of-life ICT equipment.

According to a recent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the TechCollect NZ pilot programme, recycling one tonne of ICT e-waste with TechCollect NZ:

• Prevents 2052kgs of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere. This is equivalent to planting 30 trees.
• Saves 28,347mj of fossil fuel energy. This is equivalent to the electricity consumed by one average Kiwi household for 140 days.
• Saves 7.4m³ of water. This is equivalent to 26 days of water consumption for one person.
• Prevents 3026g of particulate matter from entering the atmosphere. This is equivalent to removing over 3050km of truck driving.

TechCollect NZ senior policy manager Michael Dudley thanks TechCollect NZ's members, partners, supporters and the communities across Aotearoa for making these impressive achievements possible and invites other like-minded businesses to throw their weight behind TechCollect NZ's trailblazing efforts.

"So far, TechCollect NZ's pilot has recycled thousands of the products that our members sell to Kiwi-consumers. We've also safely recovered and recycled thousands of ICT e-waste made by other brands who also sell their goods in Aotearoa," he says.

"TechCollect NZ offers businesses a genuine opportunity to walk the talk when it comes to their ESG commitments and make a real difference on the ground in NZ. TechCollect NZ and our members welcome all e-product manufacturers, importers and retailers to jump onboard as early as possible and help us bridge the gap to 2024 when a regulated scheme is expected to take force. Our core aim is to shape a better future – one we can all be proud to present to our tamariki and mokopuna.

About the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

TechCollect NZ engaged Lifecycles, an experienced provider of life cycle assessment research, to conduct a life cycle assessment for TechCollect NZ's national e-waste collection and recycling service in Aotearoa.

A Life Cycle Assessment or LCA assesses the environmental impacts associated with all the life cycle stages of a commercial product, process, or service. The primary objective of the assessment was to quantify the environmental impacts and benefits associated with recycling e-waste items accepted by the TechCollect NZ pilot, based on TechCollect NZ's programme operations.

TechCollect NZ says the LCA demonstrated a wide range of environmental benefits associated with recycling ICT e-waste. It also highlights the benefits of maximising the proportion of e-waste processed in New Zealand.

Aotearoa's electricity grid has a low emission profile, and a significant proportion of electricity is produced from renewable sources such as hydro, geothermal and wind. As such, material separation and treatment processes taking place locally have low environmental impacts compared with offshore markets that rely more heavily on fossil fuels for their energy generation mix.