Electronic waste in New Zealand

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Electronic waste, or e-waste, in New Zealand is growing fast. In 2017 NZ produced about 99,000 tonnes of e-waste (roughly 20 kg per person), and around 97,000 tonnes went to landfills. NZ has one of the highest amounts of e-waste per person in the world but one of the lowest recycling rates. By 2030, per-person e-waste could reach about 28.7 kg if recycling doesn’t improve (27.1 kg with recycling).

There is no national e-waste scheme in New Zealand. The government has run a few programs in the past, like e-Day collections and a TV takeback campaign, but most recycling happens at the city or private level. Some councils offer free recycling, while others charge a fee. New Zealand is the only OECD country without a nationwide e-waste policy. There are AS/NZS recycling standards, but they are not mandatory.

Policy work has been held back by a lack of good data. In 2020 e-waste was declared a priority waste stream that should have product stewardship. Public interest has generally supported stronger action: in 2019, about 96% of people who commented supported designating e-waste as a priority product.

People’s attitudes vary. Some are worried about e-waste, while others are unsure how to deal with it. Surveys of past collection events show mixed views on who is to blame for the problem, but many people are willing to use local collection points or pay for safe disposal. E-waste collection events like eDay were popular when funded, but the program ended when government funding stopped.

Recent efforts include drive-through e-waste events run by Computer Recycling Ltd (CR E-Days) in Auckland, which have diverted over 300,000 kg from landfills. In 2021, a first-of-its-kind BLUBOX e-waste shredder and sorter began operating in New Zealand with a $1.5 million grant to recover materials.

New Zealand also follows the Basel Convention, which aims to reduce hazardous waste movements between countries. The Waste Minimisation Act 2008 supports product stewardship and waste levies to fund recycling projects. However, extended producer responsibility (where manufacturers must take responsibility for a product’s end-of-life) is not yet widely used in NZ.

NZ also exports some e-waste. In 2020, about 19,000 tonnes were exported, mainly to South Korea, with smaller amounts to Japan and Belgium. As of 2022, permits allow about 35,000 tonnes of e-waste to be exported under Basel.