Nelson store part of free e-waste trial

Noel Leeming Nelson has joined 15 other Noel Leeming stores around the country to become a free e-waste collection site.

The trial e-waste recycling initiative is in partnership with TechCollect NZ, a not-for-profit organisation committed to supporting product stewardship for electrical and electronic products in Aotearoa.

The recycling programme aims to divert thousands of kilograms of e-waste from landfill by offering free drop-off recycle points at the 16 participating Noel Leeming retail stores nationwide.

Customers and small businesses can take items such as printers, computers, laptops and tablets, as well as peripherals such as keyboards, mice, power supplies, monitors, copiers, scanners and multifunction printers and cameras to a participating any of the participating stores with no fee charged for the drop-off.

Customers are responsible for clearing personal data from devices prior to dropping it off in store for recycling.

Excluded products include televisions, white goods, non-IT electronics, loose batteries, toner and ink cartridges. Mobile phones can continue to be recycled through the Noel Leeming partnership programme with Re:Mobile.

David Benattar, chief sustainability officer at The Warehouse Group, said the programme allows customers to responsibly and conveniently dispose of their e-waste free of charge.

“E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world, with the average Kiwi generating more than 21kgs of e-waste each year. By introducing a programme where unwanted Information and Communications Technology (ICT) equipment can safely be recycled, we are hopeful we can divert a considerable amount of e-waste from New Zealand landfills,” commented Benattar.

As part of the partnership, Noel Leeming will encourage recycling and reusing wherever possible and adhere to stringent health, safety, and environmental standards to support a sustainable environment and circular economy.

“We are pleased to be able to offer another way for climate-conscious Kiwis to live more sustainably. The service aims to process as much material in New Zealand as possible; however, some components recovered will get processed overseas.”

Noel Leeming is the exclusive retail partner for the expanded TechCollect NZ programme.

Michael Dudley, Senior Policy Manager, TechCollect NZ, said, “We are delighted to be working with Noel Leeming to tackle the challenge of responsible and sustainable e-waste management, whilst helping New Zealand transition towards a more circular economy.

“As the demand for new technology increases so does our e-waste footprint, with nearly 100,000 tonnes of e-waste generated in New Zealand each year. In addition to the support provided by Noel Leeming, we are fortunate to have the backing of some of the world’s leading technology brands such as Canon, Dell, Dynabook, HP, Microsoft and Toshiba supporting our initiative and spearheading e-waste product stewardship in New Zealand.”

Noel Leeming is part of the wider The Warehouse Group, which is taking responsibility for its impact on the environment. In 2019 the Group, also compromising The Warehouse, Warehouse Stationery, TheMarket.com, 1-day.co.nz and Torpedo7 - became the first large organisation in the country and third major retailer in the world, to go carbon zero.

The stores participating in the recycling trial include Whangarei Supa, St Lukes Mega Centre, Wairau Park, Manukau Supa Centre, Te Rapa, Tauranga, Rotorua, Napier, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Lower Hutt, Nelson, Moorhouse, Dunedin, Queenstown and Invercargill.