A Waste Minimisation Fund grant will this year go towards developing a network of 20 permanent depots for e-waste as well as recycling facilities in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Environment Minister Nick Smith today announced $1.15 million in grants from the fund for eDay on November 6.
Of that, $750,000 goes to the 2020 Communications Trust to run eDay at over 40 venues across New Zealand, while another $400,000 is a joint venture between the RCN Group and the Community Recycling Network towards developing a nationwide network of depots for e-waste as well as recycling facilities in the three main centres.
Dr Smith said New Zealand needed to recycle the 80,000-plus tonnes of electronic waste that goes to landfills each year to recover resources and reduce pollution.
"The electronic waste from used computers, cellphones, printers, monitors and televisions has thousands of tonnes of recoverable lead, mercury, gold, cadmium and silver," he said. That included an estimated 20,000 tonnes of lead in the 10 million cathode ray tubes in New Zealand's computer monitors and TVs.
Dr Smith said eDay's popularity had grown exponentially and that problems developed in 2008 and 2009 with management of the waste after it was collected.
"This year we are engaging e-waste professionals to ensure best practice in recycling and in managing the residual waste."
