30.10.2009

In a unanimous decision from the judging panel Computer Access New Zealand (CANZ), organiser of the recent eDay computer recycling event, was awarded the Regional Supreme Award in the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards, held at a celebration dinner at Wellington Airport last night.

The dinner was attended by guest speaker Hon Paula Bennett, Minister for Social Development and Employment and Minister for Youth Affairs along with the Mayors and Councillors from five regional councils - Wellington City, Kapiti, Porirua, Upper Hutt and Hutt City.

The Awards recognise the achievements of community groups in Greater Wellington and throughout the country with categories covering environment, health, education, art and sport. Regional winners competing for the Regional Supreme Award last night included Kapiti's Coasters Musical Theatre, Porirua City's Volunteer Firefighters, Great Start from Hutt City and Prison Fellowship Wellington based in Upper Hutt.

CANZ was selected for eDay's effectiveness in diverting toxic waste from landfills, reusing valuable resources such as gold, reach within the community and for mobilising volunteer support.

"We are a non-profit trust that is passionate about finding alternatives to dumping e-waste in landfills, an issue facing all communities in New Zealand. We are extremely honoured to be the recipient of this award and have our passion recognised by the Greater Wellington community," said Laurence Zwimpfer, chairperson of CANZ and eDay organiser.

eDay, held on Saturday 12 September, is New Zealand's only community-driven national electronic waste recycling event. This year, 16,391 carloads of electronic waste (e-waste) were dropped off at 38 venues from Kaitaia to Invercargill with around 83,000 computer items diverted from being dumped in New Zealand's landfills - totalling 976 tonnes.

Wellington eDay, held at the Westpac Stadium, was again the largest eDay site with 1,998 cars dropping off 97 tonnes of e-waste. eDay began in Wellington in 2006. The Kapiti eDay site at Paraparaumu saw 595 cars drop off 2,484 items or 25 tonnes of equipment.

Over 1,500 volunteers and 100 funding partners, including central government, local authorities, local businesses, computer companies, recycling partners and transport operators, are involved in eDay across the country. Volunteers help to direct traffic, interview drivers about their awareness of e-waste issues and remove computer equipment from cars.

"eDay would not happen without the support of our fantastic partners and volunteers and this award is a tribute to them," Mr Zwimpfer said.

eDay gives people the chance to dispose of their old computer equipment and mobile phones in an environmentally-friendly way and is aimed at raising awareness about the benefits of recycling e-waste.

The Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards are run in partnership with The Community Trust of Wellington and five local councils. CANZ will join Regional Supreme Award Winners from across the country for the national finals in Nelson in March.

CANZ is a not-for-profit trust set up by the 2020 Communications Trust in 2000 with support from the Ministry of Education to promote the reuse and recycling of computer equipment.

Statement from Earl Mardle, Chairperson of the 2020 Communications Trust in response to the Ministry of Economic Development e-waste investigation. 27 October 2009

The 2020 Communications Trust, with the support of over 100 partners, organises the annual eDay free computer recycling event. The Ministry of Economic Development (MED) has recently asked for our input into an investigation into used electronic and e-waste exports, following a request for more information about what happens to eDay equipment.

We understand that the MED investigation relates to whether the eDay equipment being prepared for export by our recycling partner,CRTNZ, is correctly classified and documented – i.e. material that can be reused or material for recycling (e-waste).

We have welcomed this investigation as it is leading us one step closer to effective inspection and verification processes and we are working closely with MED. Our focus is to ensure eDay material is safely recycled or reused. We are a non-profit trust that is passionate about finding alternatives to dumping e-waste in landfills, an issue facing all communities in New Zealand.

It’s important to address the difference between “reuse” and “recycling” as this is an area of confusion being reported to date.

CRTNZ is committed to identifying equipment in good condition that can be made available for reuse and this is the first priority.  Equipment that is not suitable for reuse is referred to as e-waste and this is typically disassembled and then recycled, with over 95% of the materials used to manufacture computers being recovered for use in the manufacture of new products. 

We therefore believe the investigation is positive and will lead to improvements for all companies handling reuse equipment and actual electronic waste, and this will benefit us all.

The 2020 Communications Trust selected logistics and recycling partners for eDay following a formal and lengthy RFP (request for partners) process that drew interest from five different companies. A key requirement of the RFP was that partners must use accepted international practices for safely recycling and refurbishing computer equipment and of course conform with all New Zealand requirements for the export of any equipment. Our selection process also included a visit to South Korea, the intended destination for most of the eDay equipment, to meet with government officials and visit e-waste recycling facilities. We are confident with the robustness of this process.

If the investigation uncovers that any regulations have been broken in the handling of eDay materials by our recycling partner it would be a breach of contract, and a breach of trust.

At this stage, there is no evidence that we have seen to indicate that a breach of regulations has in fact happened and we will continue working closely with MED.

We are addressing this as fast as possible and have contracted an independent inspection company – SGS New Zealand Limited - to monitor and report on the contents of all containers of eDay equipment as they are packed. The inspections – at a cost of $450 per container - are at our expense, not the MED, as has been suggested in some reports.  These inspections enable these products to flow while the investigation continues.

We look forward to an early resolution of this investigation so the eDay equipment can soon be reused or recycled as any delays undermine the financial viability of eDay as an ongoing event and we are keen to do everything we can to prevent this development forcing us to close it down for financial reasons.

If the investigation concludes that CRTNZ has breached regulations, we will terminate our contract with them and find alternative recycling partners to safely handle the e-waste collected at eDay.

Either way, we have no fear of toxic waste issues arising from this. Whatever the outcome, there will be no toxic waste delivered to the environment by the eDay process.

Meridian customers who brought their Meridian account details to a local eDay collection point went into the draw for one of 10 prizes to have their electricity paid for the month.

Below are the 10 lucky winners:

Names                                                                        |	eDay Venue
Mr P & Mrs C Duggan	Christchurch
Mr W Jones	Napier
Miss A Giorgetti & Mr C Andrew	Hamilton
Mr M Coulthard	Whangaparaoa
Ms C Leather	Wellington
Mr A P Phipps	Christchurch
Barrie Malloch	Christchurch
Mr S Carpinter	Christchurch
Cathryn Curry	Christchurch
Miss RR Heatherington	Christchurch

 

Despite rain across much of the country, over 976 tonnes of old computer equipment and mobile phones were diverted from landfills across the country today in the third national eDay.

The free drive-through recycling event saw 16,000 carloads of electronic waste (e-waste) dropped off at 38 centres from Kaitaia to Invercargill today with at least another ten areas organising local community e-waste collections in the weeks leading up to eDay. This is an increase on the 946 tonnes collected at last year's event.

The annual event, organised by Computer Access New Zealand (CANZ), has seen strong growth since it began in 2007 with 12 centres and this year saw more than 83,000 computer items including monitors, CPUs and printers collected for recycling.

"There is a clear need for e-waste disposal services as again we see strong support for eDay this year. The total amount of e-waste collected today is enough to fill 55 shipping containers," said Laurence Zwimpfer, National eDay Coordinator.

Environment Minister Hon Nick Smith showed his support for eDay by helping in his hometown of Nelson. Olympians Peter Fox, Barbara Kendall and Tom Ashley also joined the North Shore collection today.

Mr Zwimpfer said e-waste contains many valuable and scarce materials that can be recovered and reused for new products instead of being dumped in landfills.

"As a nation we face a number of environmental challenges and e-waste is one of them. Our surveys have found that Kiwis are aware that dumping e-waste in landfills is not sustainable and eDay provides New Zealand households with an easy and free recycling option," Mr Zwimpfer said.

Equipment collected on eDay is being transported to Auckland and Dunedin where it will be sorted before being sent to accredited recycling companies in South Korea for recycling. "Our partners use accepted international processes to ensure the safety of workers and maximise recovery of materials. They are able to recover over 95% of the materials in a computer for reuse including precious materials such as copper, lead, zinc, gold and silver," Mr Zwimpfer said.

eDay 2009 is supported nationally by The Ministry for the Environment, the 2020 Communications Trust and the Ministry of Education which funds Computer Access NZ. National transport operator KiwiRail and international e-waste recyclers CRTNZ are national partners again in 2009. Corporate sponsors include Meridian Energy, More FM, Dell, Canon, Printlink, The Laptop Company, Invo, Trade Me and NZICT.

Over 1,500 volunteers assisted in today's effort across the country removing e-waste from cars, directing traffic and interviewing drivers about their awareness of e-waste issues.

"eDay relies on the generosity of volunteers who donate their time to help across the country. We'd like to thank them again for their hard work and effort and also our many partners and supporters for making today's event a success."

"We look forward to a long term sustainable solution through the implementation of the Government's Waste Minimisation Act. However until comprehensive e-waste recycling schemes are fully operational and everyone knows how to dispose of unwanted computer equipment we expect eDay will need to be held for a few more years. We have already had interest from some communities who were unable to participate this year and are keen to sign up for 2010," Mr Zwimpfer concluded.

With the support of Trade Me, collectable computers identified today are being auctioned on a special Trade Me Charity Auction site with all proceeds contributing to the costs of eDay. For more details, visit www.eday.org.nz and select the link from the homepage.

Households and businesses are advised to visit www.eday.org.nz for more information about e-waste and detail on how to dispose of e-waste after eDay.

eDay 2009 Results by area

	Number of cars	Total tonnage per area
Kaitaia	65	6
Kaikohe	60	8
Kerikeri	223	11
Whangarei	622	33
North Shore City	1,163	46
Auckland City	534	35
Manukau City	640	30
Waitakere City	403	18
Waiheke Island	117	4
Hamilton	860	71
Tauranga	1,050	56
Whakatane	170	10
Rotorua	535	25
Opotiki	54	3
Gisborne	412	25
Napier	573	29
Hawera	159	9
New Plymouth	775	40
Stratford	109	4
Wanganui	524	29
Palmerston North	402	24
Paraparaumu	595	28
Masterton	395	31
Wellington	1,998	97
Takaka	103	3
Nelson	709	37
Motueka	157	10
Murchison	17	2
Blenheim	463	19
Kaikoura	13	1
Greymouth	114	5
Amberley	21	10
Christchurch	1,037	69
Queenstown	162	7
Wanaka	131	12
Alexandra	73	16
Dunedin	621	36
Invercargill	375	24
TOTAL	16,432	976

Computer Access New Zealand (CANZ), organiser of the recent eDay computer recycling event, was honoured as the recipient of the Supreme Award in the Wellington Airport Community Awards, held at a ceremony in the Wellington Council Chambers last night.

The Awards recognise the achievements of community groups in Wellington with categories covering environment, health, education, art and sport. CANZ was selected from 41 nominees for eDay's effectiveness in diverting toxic waste from landfills and for mobilising volunteer support.

eDay, held last Saturday 12 September, is New Zealand's only community-driven national electronic waste recycling event. This year, 16,391 carloads of electronic waste (e-waste) was dropped off at 38 venues from Kaitaia to Invercargill with around 83,000 computer items diverted from being dumped in New Zealand's landfills - totalling 966 tonnes.

Wellington eDay, held at the Westpac Stadium, was again the largest eDay site with 1,998 cars dropping off 87 tonnes of e-waste. eDay began in Wellington in 2006.

Laurence Zwimpfer, chairperson of CANZ and eDay organiser, says the award is fantastic recognition of the effort invested by over 1,500 volunteers and 100 funding partners, including central government, local authorities, local businesses, computer companies, recycling partners and transport operators.

"The success of eDay for four years now proves that New Zealanders are looking for a sustainable way to dispose of e-waste. It is great to have this initiative acknowledged by the Wellington community where eDay started back in 2006," said Mr Zwimpfer.

Mr Zwimpfer says volunteers are key to operations on the day by helping to direct traffic, interview drivers about their awareness of e-waste issues and removing computer equipment from cars.

"The role that volunteers play is crucial to the success of the event; without them it simply wouldn't happen," said Mr Zwimpfer. "Wellington has consistently achieved the best turnout of volunteers with over 200 participating this year; in fact we had so many people offering to help that we were starting to think about how we could transport Wellingtonians to other centres."

eDay gives people the chance to dispose of their old computer equipment and mobile phones in an environmentally-friendly way and is aimed at raising awareness about the benefits of recycling e-waste.

The Wellington Airport Community Awards are run in partnership with The Community Trust of Wellington and five local councils.

CANZ, along with other category winners from Wellington City, will join winners from each of the Greater Wellington Region council areas for the regional awards at Wellington Airport in October.

CANZ is a not-for-profit trust set up by the 2020 Communications Trust in 2000 with support from the Ministry of Education to promote the reuse and recycling of computer equipment.

New Zealand residents can safely dispose of their old PCs, computer peripherals, mobile phones and digital cameras at eDay this weekend.

eDay, a free computer recycling event being held in close to 40 centres throughout New Zealand, is expected to divert over 1,000 tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) from New Zealand landfills.

The drive-through event is being held in Invercargill, Wanaka, Alexandra, Queenstown, Dunedin, Christchurch, Amberley, Greymouth, Kaikoura, Blenheim, Nelson, Takaka, Motueka, Murchison, Wellington, Kapiti, Masterton, Palmerston North, Wanganui, Hawera, Stratford, New Plymouth, Napier, Gisborne, Opotiki, Rotorua, Whakatane, Tauranga, Hamilton, Manukau City, Auckland City, Waitakere City, North Shore City, Waiheke Island, Whangarei, Kerikeri, Kaikohe and Kaitaia from 9am to 3pm on Saturday 12 September. 

eDay is a community event organised by Computer Access New Zealand (CANZ). The event is aimed at raising awareness about the benefits of recycling computer equipment and the dangers of dumping e-waste in landfills.

National Organiser and Chairman of CANZ, Laurence Zwimpfer, says the need for responsible e-waste disposal services is evident from the large amount of e-waste collected at eDay 2008. “There will be a long-term sustainable solution with the passing of the Waste Minimisation Act but it could take another three years before e-waste schemes are fully operational. We are pleased to be holding another eDay to ensure that hazardous and scarce materials are not buried in our landfills in the interim,” said Mr Zwimpfer.

Last year’s eDay diverted 946 tonnes of e-waste from landfills, with over 16,000 cars dropping off unwanted computer equipment across the country.  Organisers are expecting an even greater response this year with more New Zealand communities taking part in the event.

The event is supported nationally by the Ministry for the Environment, the 2020 Communications Trust and the Ministry of Education which funds Computer Access NZ. National transport operator KiwiRail and international e-waste recyclers CRTNZ are national partners again in 2009. Corporate sponsors include Meridian Energy, More FM, Dell, Canon, Printlink, The Laptop Company, Invo, Trade Me and NZICT.

Only computer equipment, gaming consoles, mobile phones and digital cameras can be recycled in the eDay collection. Other electronic equipment including televisions and stereos will not be accepted.

CANZ advises people to wipe all data from computer hard drives as well as removable media such as floppy disks and PC cards before handing them over for recycling.

With the support of Trade Me, collectable computers identified on the day will be auctioned on a special Trade Me Charity Auction site with all proceeds contributing to the costs of eDay.  For more details, visit www.eday.org.nz after eDay and select the link from the homepage.

eDay organisers are looking for volunteers to assist at the Manukau, Waitakere and Christchurch drop-off sites. Volunteers are needed to help direct traffic, interview drivers about their awareness of e-waste issues and remove computer equipment from cars. 

Shifts are available from 8.30am – 12.30pm and 12.00pm – 4.00pm. Visit www.eday.org.nz and click on ‘volunteer’ to sign-up.

eDay 2009 is a drive-through community event and is open to cars only. Schools and businesses are advised to visit www.eday.org.nz for alternate disposal options.

 

20 August 2009

New Zealand residents can dispose of their old PCs, computer peripherals, mobile phones and digital cameras at eDay on Saturday 12th September.

eDay, a free nationwide computer recycling event, is expected to divert over 1,000 tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) from landfills and will enable the recovery of valuable materials such as gold, copper and aluminium so they can be reused.

The drive-through event has extended from 32 regions last year to close to 40 regions in 2009.

National Organiser and Chairperson of Computer Access New Zealand (CANZ), Laurence Zwimpfer, said e-waste is the fastest growing and one of the most challenging waste problems in the world and New Zealand is no exception; over 87,000 computer related items were diverted from local landfills at last year's eDay. "Computers contain many valuable resources which can be recovered and put to good use. Our aim with eDay is to educate New Zealanders about the benefits of recycling computers while providing convenient drop-off points for them to dispose of unwanted computer items in a safe way," said Mr Zwimpfer.

The annual eDay event is now in its third year and is the only national community-driven e-waste recycling event for dropping off computer items such as monitors, CPUs and printers, at no cost to the public.

CANZ advises people to wipe all data from computer hard drives as well as removable media such as floppy disks and PC cards before handing them over for recycling.

Only computer equipment, mobile phones and digital cameras can be recycled in the eDay collection. Other electronic equipment including televisions and stereos will not be accepted. "We know that TVs and other electronic equipment pose similar threats to our environment, but because of the huge variety in size and weight of this equipment, we don't think it is fair to ask volunteers to handle TVs," said Mr Zwimpfer. "The best advice we can give is for the public to hold onto their old TVs until sustainable solutions are available."

The event is supported nationally by The Ministry for the Environment through their Sustainable Management Fund, the 2020 Communications Trust and the Ministry of Education which funds the Computer Access NZ Trust. National transport operator KiwiRail and international e-waste recyclers CRTNZ are national partners again in 2009. Corporate sponsors include Meridian Energy, More FM, Dell, Canon, Printlink, The Laptop Company, Invo, Trade Me and NZICT.

Each eDay event is also being supported by numerous local partners, typically including local and regional authorities, as well as a wide range of other interested organisations. For details of eDay 2009 sites across the country, visit www.eday.org.nz.

All equipment collected as part of eDay will be recycled by accredited international recyclers. Items in good condition can be donated to genuine charities through www.donatenz.com or sold on www.trademe.co.nz. Mr Zwimpfer said the very successful charity auction for antique and collectable computers organised in 2008 with the generous support of Trade Me means the auction will be held again this year. "There was a lot of nostalgia last year as many old-time computer users were able to get their hands on equipment that for many was their first computer," said Mr Zwimpfer.

eDay 2009 is a drive-through community event and is open to cars only. Businesses and schools or organisations with large quantities of e-waste are advised to visit www.eday.org.nz for alternate disposal options and more information about recycling options.

14 July 2009

Computer Access New Zealand (CANZ) has announced another eDay (free computer recycling day), for 12 September 2009, with the aim of diverting over 1,000 tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) from landfills in up to 40 regions - an increase from the 31 regions that participated in 2008.

 

e-waste is the fastest growing waste problem globally and New Zealand is no exception; over 87,000 computer related items were diverted from local landfills at last year's eDay.

 

Now in its third year, the annual eDay event is the only nationwide community e-waste recycling event for disposing of computer items and mobile phones in an environmentally sustainable way, at no cost to the public.

 

"The passing into legislation of the Waste Minimisation Act in September 2008 was an important step forward in developing a long-term sustainable solution but it could take another three years before e-waste schemes are fully operational. We are pleased to announce another eDay to ensure that hazardous and scarce materials are not buried in our landfills in the interim," said Laurence Zwimpfer, Chairperson of CANZ and organiser of the eDay event.

 

Securing funding for eDay is the biggest challenge for CANZ, a not-for-profit trust, in the current economic climate. The programme relies on support from a wide range of partners including computer manufacturers and distributors, businesses, community trusts, local authorities and central Government. Mr Zwimpfer says we all have a responsibility to help protect our environment and welcomes further support.

 

"There are real costs involved in collecting and safely recycling e-waste and we rely 100% on sponsorship and volunteers, hence we'd welcome support from anyone willing to help us ensure that our old computers are properly recycled. This means that scarce and valuable materials can be reused rather than buried in our landfills," he says.

 

CANZ has again received funding support for eDay 2009 from the Ministry for the Environment through the Sustainable Management Fund. "This support from government has given us the confidence to proceed. Along with support from local and regional councils in each eDay area we can start planning for another successful eDay in 2009," he says.

 

National transport operator KiwiRail and international e-waste recycler, CRTNZ, are again confirmed as national partners for 2009.  "We are delighted that both these partners who helped us in 2008 are willing to provide support again.  KiwiRail is providing a sustainable transport option for freighting e-waste to central points, and after evaluating a number of proposals, CRTNZ was selected to provide logistics and recycling support," said Mr Zwimpfer.

 

Corporate support is being led by Meridian Energy. Other confirmed corporate supporters include More FM, Dell, Canon, Printlink, The Laptop Company, Trade Me, InternetNZ, Chorus and NZICT.

 

"We want to thank these partners in particular for confirming their early support. We are grateful to have them partner with us but we need even more support to cover all our expected costs and are looking forward to a similar positive response from others," Mr Zwimpfer says.

 

A key component of the eDay programme is School eDay which will again be taking place this year. School eDay is being supported at the national level by Equico and the Ministry of Education as well as a number of local partners who will provide drop-off centres for schools during the two weeks leading up to eDay. School eDay enables schools to safely dispose of unused computer equipment while teaching students about the benefits of recycling and the risks of disposing of e-waste in landfills. In 2008, 20% of the total e-waste collected (nearly 200 tonnes) came from schools and a similar amount is expected this year.

 

As well as e-waste disposal information, all schools will be provided with educational posters and a downloadable schools' kit that contains fun activities for students to learn about sustainable e-waste disposal and IT energy conservation.  With the support of the Microsoft NZ Partners in Learning Programme and NTICED, an Australian educational software developer, the kit will include a new activity utilising the animation software MARVIN and eDay's e-Waste Eddie character.

 

eDay and School eDay give people the chance to dispose of their old computer equipment and mobile phones quickly in an environmentally-friendly way, and are aimed at raising awareness about the importance of recovering and reusing valuable metals (copper, aluminium) and other materials (plastics, glass) as well as the environmental and health dangers of e-waste dumped in landfills.  

 

Event updates will be posted on the eDay website, www.eday.org.nz, as venue details and school drop-off centres are confirmed in each region.  Volunteers wishing to help out at an eDay in their area are invited to sign-up online at the eDay website.

 

CANZ and eDay are initiatives of the 2020 Communications Trust. The 2020 Communications Trust has been supporting the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in communities throughout New Zealand for more than 12 years.

21 May 2009

The Ministry for the Environment recently released the Waste Minimisation in New Zealand discussion paper for public consultation. The Computer Access New Zealand Trust (CANZ), organisers of eDay, responded with a submission on this paper. Key points of the submission outlined how e-waste, as the world’s fastest growing and highly toxic waste stream, must be identified as a priority product and regulations developed. CANZ’s view is that eDay can continue to play an important awareness-raising role in helping to address New Zealand’s e-waste problem, but it falls well short of a total solution - addressing less than 10% of the annual quantity of imported computer equipment.

Read more

05 May 2009

The 15th annual PricewaterhouseCoopers Hi-Tech Awards were presented to 11
recipients on Friday night in a special award ceremony at the Christchurch Convention Centre.

Computer Access New Zealand (CANZ), organiser of the national eDay programme, was honoured as the recipient of the award for Outstanding Industry Initiative.

eDay 2008, New Zealand's only community-driven national electronic waste recycling event, diverted 946 tonnes of computer waste from landfills. More than 16,600 carloads of electronic waste (e-waste) was dropped off at 33 venues in October last year with
more than 87,000 computer items including monitors, CPUs and printers diverted from being dumped in New Zealand's landfills.

Read more