What happens to my computer?

All equipment is sorted at the drop-off site on eDay before being transported to CRTNZ's (our recycling partner) premises in Auckland. Newer computer equipment and monitors are tested to extract as much as possible for reuse. This is then sold for reuse in New Zealand or overseas markets as refurbished equipment. Equipment unsuitable for reuse is currently being stored and will be shipped to South Korea for recycling under a Basel Permit.

Here are some frequently asked questions about eDay's recycling process. If you have any additional questions please email them to info@eday.org.nz

 

Where is eDay 2009 equipment now?

All equipment collected on eDay 2009 is transported to CRTNZ in Auckland. Equipment collected from the Auckland sites is transported by truck directly to CRTNZ's Mt Wellington site. Equipment from other parts of the country is transported by truck to the nearest KiwiRail terminal and then freighted to Auckland. At CRTNZ equipment is unloaded and sorted as follows:

CRT and LCD monitors: these are all tested. Working monitors in a good physical condition are packed for reuse; faulty or damaged monitors are set aside for export to accredited recyclers in South Korea. These will be shipped when a Basel Permit is obtained. The Basel permit process ensures equipment is only shipped to OECD countries and processed by government-approved recyclers. This ensures that all equipment is processed using good international practices, including protecting the safety of workers and maximising the recovery of materials. Recyclers are reporting that over 95% of all the component materials (steel, glass, copper, etc) in computers and monitors can be recovered and reused.

PCs: Pentium 4 equipment and laptops are tested. Working units then have their hard drives security wiped to remove all software and any user data. Non-working equipment is disassembled to remove reusable components for local or export sale. Older computer equipment has no reuse value and is currently being stored ready for export as e-waste.

Printers/Scanners: All printers/ scanners and other printing devices (e.g. fax machines) are disassembled and component materials separated - toner and ink cartridges, plastics, metal, cables, circuit boards. Toner and ink cartridges are sent to a local specialist recycler. Plastics and metals can also be processed in New Zealand while all circuit boards are sent to South Korea for recycling.

Keyboards and Mice/ Power supplies: any printed circuit boards are extracted for export to South Korea as hazardous waste. The remaining materials (non-hazardous) are sold locally or overseas as mixed scrap metal.

Cables: These are processed in New Zealand as scrap metal.

 

Which companies will be involved in recycling the e-waste collected on eDay?

All eDay e-waste will be shipped to Lucky Materials, CNTech Korea, Green Electronics, SMC, DBI Tech (http://e-dongbang.com/) in South Korea for recycling, through their New Zealand partner, CRTNZ. Downstream processing is provided by CNTech Korea (www.cntkor.com) (plastics), Green Electric Co., (waste glass, CRT monitors, wire) and LG Niggojeryun DBI Tech (printed circuit boards). The equipment is disassembled so that the component materials, including precious metals such as gold, can be separated out and reused in the manufacture of new products.

 

How do you know if these companies will safely recycle the e-waste?

International legislation titled The Basel Convention, which New Zealand and South Korea are signatories to, ensures that the any e-waste exported for processing is sent to a facility with appropriate environmentally sound management and processes. The Ministry of Economic Development, together with Customs, ensures that only e-waste with a Basel Permit is exported.

Lucky Materials is one of a network of e-waste processing plants endorsed by the South Korean government. Downstream processing plants such as DBI Tech has ISO 14001 accreditation. ISO accreditation is only given to companies whose processes meet high international environmental standards.

 

How can you be sure these companies follow the agreed standards when they're on the other side of the world?

CANZ was invited by CRTNZ Limited to visit South Korea to meet with government officials and visit e-waste recycling facilities in the Seoul area and Nonsan, in Chung Nam Province south of Seoul. This included a visit to the Lucky Material recycling plant. The visit took place over three days from 10 - 12 June 2009. As a result of the visit CANZ has no reservations at all in recommending South Korea as an appropriate recycling destination for e-waste from New Zealand eDay collections and is fully confident that any computer-related equipment sent to South Korea for recycling will be processed with an efficiency and environmental care, which for some products, notably CRTs, cannot currently be comprehensively processed in New Zealand.

South Korea, along with the European Union (EU), Japan and Taiwan, was one of the first countries to introduce legislation making producers of electronics good responsible for their end-of-life products.

 

Computer e-waste

Once it arrives at the recycling plant in South Korea, all non-working monitors are manually disassembled and the following materials recovered for reuse:
• copper wire and polymer coating
• circuit boards and valuable metals such as copper, lead and zinc
• unleaded glass
• plastics
• steel and other metals.
Circuit boards contain lead and precious metals and they are sent to LG Niggojeryun for environmentally acceptable processing. Glass from CRT tubes contains lead. The glass will be sent for processing by Lucky Materials or Samjingup. Plastics from CRT housings will be recycled by CNtech Korea (www.cntkor.com) or SMC into new products.

The document below outlines the breakdown of a CRT monitor.

The video below demonstrates the process used to extract precious metals from circuit boards. For further information visit http://www.crtnz.co.nz/

 

Printed Circuit Boards

Printed circuit boards extracted from computers, printers and any other electronic equipment are recycled using automated machinery to extract component metals for reuse.

 

Mobile phone e-waste

Some mobile phones are suitable for reuse in other countries and where possible this is arranged. All other mobiles collected at eDay are sent to accredited mobile recycling facilities where component materials are extracted for reuse. For example:
• mobile phone chargers can be recycled to recover copper
• handsets and accessories can be recycled to recover the plastics
• circuit boards inside handsets can be recycled to recover precious metals such as gold, silver and other materials like copper, lead and zinc
• rechargeable batteries are recycled for their nickel, iron, cadmium, lead and cobalt.

 

How much will be diverted from landfill?

On average, over 95% of the materials collected on eDay will be diverted from landfills. Your old equipment will no longer be sitting around your house gathering dust, nor will it be lying in a landfill posing a threat to the environment. Instead it will be turned into other products that can be used before being recycled again. And so the cycle continues... More about e-waste

 

What is the benefit to the environment if the e-waste is shipped offshore anyway?

Our eDay objective is to prevent e-waste being dumped in landfills and enable the recovery and reuse of valuable materials such as copper and gold. The recycling facilities in South Korea use very efficient automated processes to recover these metals from printed circuit boards and extract any hazardous substances. In many cases, the value of the recovered materials is enough to pay for the cost of international shipping. New Zealand recyclers do not have access to the sophisticated recycling machinery available in other countries and are limited to manual disassembly processes. While this is satisfactory for recovering some materials such as plastics, steel and some copper, there are no facilities for processing the hazardous waste components. Furthermore, there are no New Zealand facilities for extracting the lead from CRT glass and this needs to be sent offshore anyway for processing.
Countries such as South Korea have a huge manufacturing base which means that materials extracted from e-waste recycling can be transported directly to factories where new equipment is being produced.
e-waste is the fastest growing type of waste in the world and is more toxic than normal household rubbish. Computers and other electronic devices can contain toxic heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and mercury. The plastic casing and wiring of computer equipment can also contain hazardous materials, such as brominated flame retardants.

 

Why isn't the e-waste being processed in NZ?

CANZ has investigated the processes of e-waste recycling plants here in NZ and offshore. Where it is economical, CANZ encourages the processing of e-waste in New Zealand. Cables and power supplies for example can be processed here. However for the most part, New Zealand does not yet have recycling facilities that can compete with the automated and very efficient processes used by off-shore recyclers. This may change in the future, when New Zealand recyclers can be assured of an ongoing e-waste stream.
We welcome the establishment of e-waste processing facilities in New Zealand and will monitor this closely. However, New Zealand recyclers must not only demonstrate that they can meet international standards for recycling e-waste, but also that they can do this comprehensively and competitively.

What happens to computers that are still in working order? Isn't it wasteful to just recycle them?

CANZ is encouraging CRTNZ to reuse eDay equipment where there is viable market to do so. Pentium 4 computers, laptops and LCD screens for example are tested by CRTNZ in Auckland, so that those in good condition can be re-sold either within New Zealand or overseas.
Alternatively, we recommend that items in good condition are donated to genuine charities through www.donatenz.com or in Wellington and Auckland, these can be dropped off at a CANZ-accredited recycler - the Ark, Remarkit or HCC Pacific (see www.canz.org.nz for contact details). Items in good condition can also be sold on www.trademe.co.nz.
We also had ‘computer spotters' at some of the larger eDay sites to look out for antique / collectable items which were then sold on Trade Me through an eDay charity auction. Money raised from this auction goes towards the running costs of eDay.

 

Can I take equipment from an eDay site that looks like it is in good condition?

No, anything that is dropped off at an eDay site is the property of Computer Access New Zealand. CANZ is working with CRTNZ to reuse equipment, where there is viable market to do so. All other e-waste is either processed in New Zealand or exported to South Korea for environmentally safe recycling.