A guide to responsible e-waste disposal

Gugs Mhlungu spoke to spokesperson for Circular Energy, Patricia Schröder.

Listen to their conversation in the audio clip below.

Do you have any old appliances that you want to get rid of? Don't throw it in the bin!

According to Schröder, South Africans dispose of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of e-waste every year.

She adds that items that are regularly discarded are products that don't have a very long lifespan - like batteries and household lighting.

"What we are seeing is that consumers are replacing their products quite frequently - like music systems, televisions and computers." 

- Patricia Schröder, Spokesperson for Circular Energy

How to dispose of e-waste

"All electrical and electronic equipment in South Africa are classified under our waste management regulations as hazardous waste - that means that there are toxic or hazardous components within these products."

- Patricia Schröder, Spokesperson for Circular Energy

Schröder says that the country has legislation in place which makes it illegal to dispose of any electrical or electronic equipment in landfills.

Our landfills are overburdened and are closing because they are filling up, stresses Schröder.

She advises that consumers go to a licenced facility that is controlled and that has the correct equipment to manage the toxic components.

To responsibly dispose of your products, visit Circular Energy's website for a list of retailers where you can drop off your e-waste or you can request that it be collected.

"The throwaway culture has to come to an end."

- Patricia Schröder, Spokesperson for Circular Energy

Scroll up to listen to the full conversation.