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The E-Waste Recycling Pilot Project Launch & Imbizo in Mthatha today.
Electronic waste (E-waste) recycling has been identified as a lifeline for recyclers and Eastern Cape residents.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment launched the E-waste recycling programme in Mthatha to encourage residents to sell their broken electronics. These include refrigerators, televisions, and microwaves, amongst others.
Recyclers in the region normally sell their waste in KwaZulu-Natal traveling hundreds of kilometers.
The Department of Forestry and Fisheries and Environment, deputy minister Bernice Swarts told residents that some of the broken electronics could be bad for their health.
“These electronics contain lead and mercury that can make community sick. So ours is to encourage people that when they have a broken fridge, iron and television to not put them in the cupboards not put them in the garage but to take them what we call buy back centres. So, what is the buyback centre is where you get there and you come with your South African identity document you get registered so that we make sure that the electronics are not stolen they belong to you.”
The E-Waste Recycling Pilot Project Launch & Imbizo in Mthatha today, led by @EnviromentZA Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts, highlighting the role of e-waste recycling in supporting township economies. #EnvironmentalSustainability and #InclusiveGrowth #EconomicDevelopment pic.twitter.com/SEM7MVM4tS
— DEDEAT_EC (@DEDEA_EC) May 20, 2026
