E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. According to research conducted by the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), globally generated e-waste will reach some 53.9 million tonnes by 2025.
International E-Waste Day, which was introduced in 2018 and developed by the WEEE Forum, occurs on October 14 each year and aims to encourage businesses and consumers to recycle their e-waste to prevent environmental pollution.
“In being an ICT distributor of choice, we hope to impact people’s quality of life through advanced technology, good service and ongoing support. We have implemented sustainability practices to ensure that our business has a minimal impact on the environment, therefore, all waste across our branches is properly disposed of,” says Martin Roets, operations director at Rectron.
“E-waste is all end-of-life products. As IT assets often contain toxic or hazardous materials, such as mercury and lead, these materials can cause environmental damage if not properly disposed of.
“As part of Rectron’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), we have chosen Desco as our preferred partner, a company that follows sustainable and technologically innovative processes for e-waste recycling, for all our electronic waste,” Roets says. “We have also partnered with Hlangane Waste Removal for other recycling products including paper, plastic and organic matter.”
Roets adds that almost all e-waste can be recycled, a process in which materials are recovered, segregated, and reused as secondary raw materials to produce new equipment and products. Through processes of shredding, heat and chemical extraction, metals such as copper, zinc, aluminium and ferrous and non-ferrous metals are removed.
“For consumers as well as companies it is important to collect e-waste and make sure these are responsibly recycled via proper channels and certified recycling facilities,” says Roets. “If a customer does not have the proper channels for recycling of e-waste, they are welcome to bring it to Rectron who will ensure that their e-waste is responsibly disposed of.”