Q. What is Desco’s core business function and what services does the company offer?

A.  Desco is a specialist recycler of e-waste consisting of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). As an established e-waste recycler celebrating 20 years of recycling in this industry in South Africa, using clearly defined processes and procedures, based on our ISO 14001 certification and standards, we are able to offer our clients a one stop solution for their e-waste recycling requirements. As it is literally impossible to recycle all the identified waste streams on site, in a sustainable and responsible manner, Desco Electronic Recyclers usesapproved, specialist downstream vendors, to recycle the different categories of waste fractions, such as ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics, paper, cardboard and cabling, effectively. This way we ensure maximum recovery of all secondary resource materials, which are then placed back into the marketplace for re-use.

There are two distinctly different services we offer, namely:

• Normal disposal/destruction and recycling, where e-waste collected by or delivered to Desco is put through our normal dismantling process, and e-waste fractions are processed by our approved downstream vendors. Desco can issue a certificate of destruction for this service where required.
• A secure data destruction service, where the client delivers all data storage media to Desco Electronic Recyclers, and while witnessing the destruction thereof, the data storage media are put through a shredding machine, which completely destroys them. The client is issued with pictures of the destruction, as well as a certificate of secure data destruction, before leaving the Desco premises. This service is charged for.

Q. What initiatives is Desco involved in at consumer level to promote the recycling and proper disposal of e-waste?

A. Currently Desco is involved in various projects making use of different types of bins placed in strategic locations, for the collection of e-waste for disposal. The following projects have been in place for the past two to four years:

Makro Stores: Makro stores nationally have specialised 6m closed containers on site for use by their customers, to place all e-waste products into the bins for collection and responsible recycling by Desco. The initiative started as a joint venture between Fujitsu Siemens, Makro and Desco Electronic Recyclers in 2008.

Incredible Connection: all stores nationally have a 1 000ℓ capacity wheelie bin for their clients to place their e-waste into, for collection and responsible recycling by Desco. Incredible Connection also uses the wheelie bins as a marketing opportunity when they run their trade-in promotions on an annual basis, encouraging clients to bring in their old and used e-waste and receive a discount on new goods purchased.

Hi-Fi Corporation: currently has 15 stores nationally that have similar wheelie binslike Incredible Connection, for their clients to place e-waste into.

School projects: Acer and Miss Earth South Africa havebins placed at six schools in and around Johannesburg  where pupils bring their e-waste from home, place it in the bins, which when full, are  collected and emptied by Desco.

Holy Rosary School: Incredible Connection and Desco have a 6m container placed at the school, offering pupils and the surrounding local community a drop off point for their e-waste. In this initiative, pupils from the school’s Eco committee manage the entire process of marketing the initiative, and have launched competitions to create awareness around the need for responsible e-waste recycling.

Miss Earth South Africa (in association with Consol):Desco has been working closely with the Miss Earth South Africa platform to promote awareness and get the message across regarding the importance of e-waste recycling in South Africa. Their target audience is largely the youth. The beauty pageant involves semi-finalists taking on projects highlighting the importance of recycling e-waste, and promoting them over a large part of the year, in their communities, as well as at public events throughout the country.

Q. Consumers aside, what is Desco doing within the waste industry to promote recycling and proper disposal? Has the New Waste Act helped increase recycling statistics?

A. Desco is interacting more and more with other role players within the industry, investigating synergies, and possible collaborations that can bring about awareness and education to all players and potential players, to understand the importance of e-waste recycling. As this is the fastest growing waste stream within the waste management arena, it is important for role players within the industry to work together on offering more value added services to the consumers, and look at joint strategies, while maintaining their focus on their core businesses, to ensure a steady growth in the awareness around the importance of e-waste recycling. The New Waste Act is increasing awareness at industry level, ensuring that the captains of industry are concerned about recycling and/or disposing of their e-waste in a responsible and controlled fashion, eliminating the need for sending e-waste to landfill, as has been the case in the past. This bodes well for our industry, as we are seeing a marked growth in volumes over the past two years.

Q. Desco prides itself on environmental excellence by providing a high quality service for the disposal of electronic wastes. Briefly explain how you ensure this service is always conducted in an eco-friendly manner?

A.As Desco has been in the business of recycling e-waste for 20 years, we have refined the art of doing business in this industry based on excellence and integrity. Desco is able to offer this service on an ongoing basis, based on the following conformity, compliance and/or certification, namely:

– ISO 14001 certification as certified by SGS, and international auditing company

– Section 20 permit of the Environment Conservation Act (Act 23 of 1989) as amended. This is authority to operate a recycling facility as well as permission to store e-waste on site for more than 90 days

– compliance to both ISO 9001 and OHSAS 18001: we will be striving for certification in OHSAS 18001 standards by the end of 2012

– recycling authority permit from Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Environment (permission to operate a recycling facility)

– all our vehicles and drivers are Hazchem certified and remain current in this certification

– we are currently in possession of Waste Hub permits for both City of Johannesburg and City of Tshwane, allowing us to traverse all areas of Gauteng with our vehicles, in order to collect e-waste from our clients

– Level 1 BBBEE contributor

– accredited and audited e-Waste Association of South Africamembership since 2008

– Members of the Metals Recovery Association (MRA)

– Precious Metals Recovery License

– compliant to other national, provincial and local government legislation where applicable

-compliant to client specific requirements

– compliant to the Second Hand Goods ACT (Act 23 of 2009) of the South African Police Services

– full access security, CCTV camera’s on site and night guards with dogs after hours to ensure integrity of all clients goods arriving on site for recycling and or disposal.