Environment Waikato is encouraging Hamilton, Waipa, Waikato, Hauraki, Otorohanga, Thames-Coromandel and Waitomo residents to ring their local council about eDay collections happening in their area over the next two weeks.

eDay is a nationwide event that lets households, schools and community groups recycle computers, digital cameras and mobile phones for free.

“We get dozens of phone calls every year from residents wanting to know how to recycle their electronic waste,” Environment Waikato waste minimisation facilitator Marianna Tyler said.

“At the moment, facilities around the region are limited, so eDay is the best way.  It only happens once a year and we’re urging people to make the most of it.”

Hamilton eDay is being run by the Waikato 2020 Communications Trust in partnership with Hamilton City Council, Habitat for Humanity Central North Island and Velocity Networks Ltd.  It is supported by Environment Waikato, Gallagher Group and Ecolab. 

This year eDay is on Saturday, September 12, when people can drop off e-waste at the Habitat for Humanity headquarters at 29 Bryant Rd, Te Rapa, Hamilton between 9am and 3pm.

In addition, Hamilton City Council has teamed up with the Waipa, Waikato, Hauraki, Otorohanga, Thames-Coromandel and Waitomo district councils to offer free community collections.

The collections will happen before eDay and waste will be taken to the Bryant Rd depot on September 12.

“We are encouraging residents to call their local councils for information on where and when these collections are happening,” Ms Tyler said.

Items that can be disposed of on eDay are: computer hardware, monitors, networking equipment, scanners, keyboards, mice, speakers, laptops, printers, game consoles, toner and ink jet cartridges, mobile phones, fax machines and digital cameras.

Some items can’t be accepted, including televisions, radios, stereos, DVD players, video recorders, home appliances, furniture and software.

Before recycling e-waste, people are advised to wipe all data from computer hard drives and remove any removable media such as floppy disks and PC cards.  They should ensure mobile phones are disconnected, stored information is erased from the phone’s memory, and SIM cards are removed.

eDay is a not-for-profit event supported by the Ministry for the Environment and a number of national and local sponsors.  Environment Waikato is contributing $900.  Organisers hope to collect more than 1000 tonnes of electronic waste across New Zealand this year. 

For more information about eDay please visit www.eday.org.nz.