A recently launched electronic waste management programme is set to kill two birds with one stone in the Tshwane community of Mamelodi.

The programme, which aims to clean up the garages and storerooms of the local community, will also help raise funds for the Mamelodi-based Mediro Foundation.

In an interview with the Pretoria East Rekord, programme co-ordinator Thabo Sibanyoni noted that the purpose of the project was to create employment for the youth and promote more youth-owned e-waste enterprises.

Turning old into new

The programme will see e-waste, including electronics like computers, TV’s VCRs, copiers, fax machines and cellphones, that have reached their end of their useful life repurposed.

According to Sibanyoni the old electronic products will be reassembled into different parts and sold to different companies to raise funds for the foundation.

“The aim of the e-waste management programme is to give the youth of Mamelodi a helping hand to have a brighter future.

Sibanyoni added that community could donate all used electronics to the Mediro Foundation at 14049 Malema Street, Mamelodi East, between Monday and Friday.

Emerging e-waste enterprises

South Africa has been successfully recycling electronic waste for up to 25 years, with a well-established formal recycling sector.

This is however limited to only around 7 players nationally in this space who recycle around 25 000 tons of e-waste per year between them highlighting the reality that the sector is still relatively immature in terms of the emerging enterprises and entrants in to the market.

– Pretoria East Rekord