eDay

eDay is an annual New Zealand initiative, started by Computer Access New Zealand (CANZ), aimed to raise awareness of the potential dangers associated with electronic waste and to offer the opportunity for such waste to be disposed of in an environmentally friendly fashion.

For other uses, see Eday (disambiguation).

The eDay logo.

History
eDay in Dunedin, 2008

eDay was first held in Wellington in 2006, as a pilot sponsored by Dell, the event bought in 54 tonnes (119,000 lb) of old computers, mobile phones and other non-biodegradable electronic material.[1] In 2007 the initiative was extended to cover 12 locations, which resulted in it becoming a national initiative,[2] 946 tonnes (2,086,000 lb) were collected.[3]

eDay 2008 was held on October 4 and extended to 32 centres.[4] In 2009 an estimated 966 tonnes (2,130,000 lb) was collected at 38 locations around the country.[5]

Purpose

The initiative was started to minimise the amount of electronic waste being disposed on in landfills, based on evidence from reports that there was an estimated 16 million electronic devices in use in New Zealand and that 1 million new devices were being introduced every year, the report found that the majority of these devices were being disposed in landfills rather than being recycled.[6][7] A separate report found that half of New Zealand schools did not recycle outdated and replaced equipment, opting instead to deposit it in landfills.[7][8] When disposed in landfills there is a possibility of the harmful chemicals in the electronic equipment, such as mercury, lead and cadmium, contaminating groundwater and coming into contact with humans or animals, the toxins in the chemicals are capable of causing serious health issues, such as nervous system and brain damage.[4][9] When recycled, the chemicals are disposed of safely and potentially valuable parts can be reused.[7]

Initiative
In Christchurch, the 2009 event was held at the Canterbury Agricultural Park.

On the day, drive-thru collection points are established and volunteers operate each centre. Businesses, schools and the public are encouraged to dispose of old computer hardware, mobile phones and printer cartridges. As well as collecting material, the initiative is also designed to increase awareness about the harmful effects of electronic waste.[10][11]

Acclaim

CANZ were awarded the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment 2008 Green Ribbon Award for Community action and involvement.[12]

In 2009 CANZ won the Outstanding Industry Initiative in the PricewaterhouseCoopers Hi-Tech Awards.[13]

See also

References
  1. "Bin your old PC on eDay". New Zealand Herald. 2007-09-17. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  2. "e-Waste Survey for eDay 2007". Ministry for the Environment. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  3. "What is eDay?". eDay. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  4. "Today's the day to recycle computers". The Dominion Post, Fairfax New Zealand. 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  5. "Kiwis recycle 966 tonnes of e-waste at eDay". 2009-09-12. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
  6. e-Waste in New Zealand: taking responsibility for end-of-life computers and TVs. Computer Access NZ Trust. 2006.
  7. "What is e-waste". eDay. Archived from the original on 2008-06-01. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  8. ICT in New Zealand Schools. 2020 Communications Trust. 2007.
  9. Dr R E Horne; J Gertsakis. "A Literature Review on the Environmental and Health Impacts of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment" (PDF). Ministry for the Environment. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  10. "E-Day is time to ditch that old PC". TVNZ. 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  11. "How can I get involved?". eDay. Archived from the original on 2008-06-04. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  12. "The 2008 Green Ribbon Awards winners". Ministry for the Environment. Archived from the original on 2013-02-08. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  13. "Prestigious Hi-Tech Awards applaud eDay for diverting toxic waste from our landfills". 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
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