For the second year running, Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) ERA will host a nation-wide campaign for E-waste Day, the local iteration of an international movement to combat the negative impact of electronic waste. For the 2023 leg people turned up in droves to recycle their e-waste, with 164,000 kgs collected over one weekend; proving that South Africans are in fact e-waste hoarders.

Waste electronics are outpacing recycling efforts globally, with the rate of e-waste recycling in African countries at below 1%, according to the latest United Nations report. In an effort to drive this up, ERA has rolled out over 100 e-waste drop-off points across the country in collaboration with the likes of Makro and Pick n Pay. Their multi-pronged approach sees this non-profit company engaging stakeholders to address factors like policy and stimulating job opportunities throughout the value chain, amongst others.

The “7 Days of Eco-activism” initiative will span across a week and features both a consumer awareness campaign, rewarding people for recycling with spot prizes like air fryers, and a number of industry events to engage and share knowledge for the sector, as well as an E-waste Awards ceremony.

Inspiring Industry Cohesion

This year, ERA’s efforts will not only engage the public in a follow-up educational showcase with incentivised spot prizes for recycling, but a series of industry events will facilitate collaboration and knowledge-sharing with key e-waste players.

“Off the back of last year’s successful E-waste Day initiative with Makro, we noticed there was a real need for industry stakeholders – from recyclers, policy makers, manufacturers – to collaborate more closely for greater impact,” says Ashley du Plooy, CEO of ERA.

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations were brought into law in SA in 2021; an environmental policy aimed at producers’ responsibility for the post-consumer stage of their products life cycle. To implement these regulations, PROs like ERA serve as intermediaries between industry and the government. ERA has a particular focus on Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment and Lighting (WEEEL) – which includes electronic waste, lighting and batteries.

The planned industry events take place on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th of October in Midrand, Johannesburg and will showcase a number of panel discussions and best practices to tackle the e-waste challenge on both a global and local level. Special guests include senior management of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE); Pascal Leroy, Director General of the world’s largest international association for e-waste, the WEEE Forum; and Pasqual Zopp, the CEO of ERA’s Swiss partner SENS eRecycling.

There will also be an E-waste Awards Ceremony which recognises key industry stakeholders – from producers to recyclers – who have made strides in the area of EPR compliance to date. Says du Plooy: “It is only through this kind of collective effort that we can work towards a greener, cleaner and growing South Africa, and we want to give credit where credit is due.”

Keeping E-waste out of Landfill

In South Africa, e-waste is growing at three times the rate of solid municipal waste, with the country’s largest metros facing a looming landfill crisis. When it comes to recycling, South Africa faces challenges like lack of education on the topic, insufficient infrastructure, as well as behavioural barriers.

“The very idea of recycling electronic waste is not well-known to people, so we find these educational engagement campaigns to be crucial in growing awareness for making true impact in the home. Our recent market insights shows that South Africans do understand there is an intrinsic value to their items, but the result has been e-waste hoarding,” explains du Plooy. “We’re hoping to get e-waste out of people’s homes and into the proper systems for treatment, reuse, and recycling.”

The National E-waste Day activation will take place over the weekend of 11th until the 14th October and encourages the public to recycle their e-waste at ERA drop-off points, posting to social media for a chance to win spot prizes like air fryers. More information can be found on ERA’s social media platforms and their campaign microsite at www.eranpc.co.za/peopleplanetpurpose

Eco-activism in Action

Ultimately, ERA hopes that their “7 Days of Eco-activism” efforts will contribute positively to the cause of managing e-waste and other Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment and Lighting (WEEEL) in South Africa. As a PRO they utilise producer membership fees to facilitate the infrastructure and network for improved management and disposal of these waste streams, through a multi-pronged approach engaging key industry stakeholders and the public.

In 2023 ERA was responsible for processing 22% of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) National Target of e-waste collection for the country. ERA has since added Lighting and Battery to its offering as a PRO; due to products typically containing mixed materials across categories, regulatory crossovers and approaches to processing and treatment.

Learn more about the spot prizes for recycling on the National E-waste Day website here – www.eranpc.co.za/peopleplanetpurpose
The industry events are by invitation only, however enquiries can be made to itsnotbroken@eranpc.co.za