By Hanno Labuschagne - MyBroadBand

The E-Waste Recycling Authority (ERA) will be handing out vouchers on the spot for e-waste dropped off at Makro stores over the next two weekends.

The initiative forms part of International E-waste Day on Saturday, 14 October 2023, and aims to create awareness around the growing volumes of electronic waste.

The ERA explained what types of products are considered e-waste on its website.

“A good rule of thumb is, if it is battery-powered or powered by electricity, it is likely to be considered e-waste,” the ERA said.

A campaign page for the initiative lists dozens of eligible product types across four categories — small, medium, and large appliances, as well as ICT equipment — which it will accept at Makro stores in return for vouchers over the next two weekends.

Eligible products range from electric toothbrushes and digital cameras to washing machines and refrigerators.

Participants will get a R100 voucher for small appliances, while large appliances will fetch a R300 voucher.

Medium appliances such as air fryers, microwave ovens, and sewing machines; and ICT equipment like hard drives, keyboards, and mice are eligible for a R200 voucher.

Specialised electronic products will get a voucher based on an in-store assessment.

How to maximise your voucher values

The terms and conditions of the promotion state that the maximum combined value of the vouchers will be R600 per person per day.

Therefore, each participant can get up to R2,400 in vouchers, and couples could get vouchers worth up to R4,800, if they reach the highest value cap per day over all four days that the campaign is running.

Participants must be 18 years or older or be accompanied by a legal guardian to be eligible for the vouchers.

The drop-off dates for the initiative are the weekends of 14–15 October 2023 and 21–22 October 2023.

You can use the map tool on the ERA’s website to find a drop-off point at a Makro where you can hand in your e-waste.

The ERA provides detailed lists of qualifying products for all four categories of products on its website.

The image below shows what products would typically fall under each category.

According to the EPR Waste Association of South Africa (EWASA), e-waste is South Africa’s fastest-growing waste stream.

In 2019, 415.5 kilotonnes of e-waste was produced in South Africa.

A major problem is that only an estimated 14% of mainstream e-waste is recycled  — the lowest rate of any waste stream in South Africa.

E-waste contains potentially hazardous materials that could harm humans and the environment if not disposed of or recycled appropriately.

These include mercury, lead, cadmium, polybrominated flame retardants, barium and lithium.

Despite laws banning landfills accepting e-waste from 23 August 2021, the waste stream is still ending up in these locations.

People who want to responsibly and legally dispose of their e-waste can take it to a recycling centre or service provider — like Desco or Computer Scrap Recycling — that can collect it from their home or office.