Tackling e-waste solutions on the North Coast

Ballito is home to the only Sims Recycling site in SA and the smallest one in the world, yet they are making a massive impact in e-waste recycling around the country.

The 4000 square metre facility in the service park next to Caledon Estate employs 100 people and processes about 350 tons of e-waste a month.

This includes all electronics from transformers to batteries, but excludes lighting.

Sims Recycling SA Director Allan Werth said they collect e-waste not only from KZN, but from other African countries.

“E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams. Although it contains a small amount of valuable precious metals such as gold, it also contains high contents of hazardous chemicals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, brominated flame retardants or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),” said Werth.

Also read: The beauty of recycling

Up to a ton of e-waste is dropped off at Sims from the Dolphin Coast area monthly.

Residents drop mostly white goods such as microwaves, washing machines and other small household appliances, while telecom equipment makes up a large chunk of their total e-waste.

Werth said they have the highest standards of compliance and are the only people in Africa to have an R2 certification.

“This electronic recycling certification states that we have recycled electronics compliantly and have checked that it has been handled correctly downstream, not just on the site.”

Deputy minister of environmental affairs Barbara Thomson said she was happy with the progress Sims had made over the years.

“We are friends with Sims because they are coming up with solutions that the government needs so much. We need to empower people in terms of understanding the challenges that come with e-waste,” said Thomson.

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