City plugs into International E-Waste Day
15 October 2024
In recognition of International E-Waste Day this week, the City’s Urban Waste Management Directorate would like to advise residents on what to do with their unwanted, outdated electronics. The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg is also encouraging City staff to drop their personal e-waste this week at the temporary collection point placed at the Cape Town Civic Centre.
International E-Waste Day encourages responsible disposal of the old or obsolete electronic devices that may be gathering dust in our homes. These devices may contain materials that potentially damage the environment if disposed incorrectly. In addition, careless disposal of waste adds to the burden on our limited landfill airspace. Rather than throwing these devices in the bin, residents should dispose at designated disposal points, where materials of value can be salvaged and repurposed, and any environmentally hazardous components can be disposed of correctly.
This year’s theme is ‘Join the e-waste hunt - Retrieve, Recycle, and Revive’. To commemorate the day, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg, is encouraging the public to take any e-waste that may be cluttering their drawers and cupboards to a designated disposal site, where any materials of value can be recovered and recycled.
He also encouraged City staff to dispose of their personal unwanted electronics in an environmentally friendly way by dropping them at a collection point set up for this week (14 - 18 October) at the Cape Town Civic Centre, Woodstock parking area. The Urban Waste Management team is also on-site to educate and raise awareness among staff about e-waste.
What is e-waste?
Anything that has a plug, cable, or battery qualifies as e-waste. Small electronics such as outdated cell phones, cables, USB keys, card readers, game consoles, tablets and other gadgets are the most frequently 'forgotten' items. Other common e-waste includes, among other things, old CRT televisions, LCD/OLED and plasma televisions/monitors, computers, VCRs, DVD players, printers and radios. Light bulbs are also another common form of e-waste.
What to do with your e-waste
Residents are encouraged to bring any outdated, damaged, or broken devices that have a plug, battery, or cable to one of our drop-off locations that accept e-waste so that components can be safely recycled and disposed of.
- See which sites accept e-waste from a residential source
here. Please note that these sites do not accept e-waste from businesses.
- Take batteries and CFL/LED bulbs to the household hazardous waste drop-offs at Athlone and Bellville Refuse Transfer Stations, or retailers that offer take-back services. (Note- normal City drop-offs do not accept these items)
- Contact private companies to collect or purchase e-waste. See this list on our updated
waste recyclers map. Companies that need to dispose of e-waste can also find service providers on this portal.
‘Let’s declutter our homes of unused or broken devices. By doing so, everyone can contribute to pollution reduction. Make use of the disposal services offered by our network of drop-off sites and our waste recyclers map as disposing of e-waste responsibly is now easier and more convenient than ever,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
