Human technology has been growing for millennia, and ordinary people nowadays have access to many tech innovations, including vehicles and transport networks that allow us to travel quickly over vast distances; appliances like stoves, sewing machines and washing machines that save a lot of time and effort; and access to national and global markets that provide us with an almost-limitless range of products and services.
The development of electronics has been phenomenal – whereas computers in the 1960s took up entire rooms, today billions of people carry powerful computers in their pockets! Not only do our cellphones help us to communicate, we can use them to conduct research, manage our finances, even influence human thinking and culture…or watch cute videos of kittens, as the case may be.
Unfortunately there is a downside: e-waste, currently the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electrical and electronic technology depends on a lot of minerals and chemicals, many of which are hazardous to human health and the environment when they break down in the soil, water or air. E-waste recyclers remove and reuse many components, including metals such as copper and parts such as capacitors and fuses, and ensure that the plastics are subsequently recycled.
There aren’t many e-waste facilities on the South Coast yet, and anyone who deals with e-waste is requested to contact The Green Net on 084 9872018 so we can inform residents. One small business that provides this service is TeqTronic, upstairs at Desmond Centre on Marine Drive opposite Shelly Centre. They take all form of e-waste, including broken kettles, hairdryers, fluorescent light, lamps, phones, printers, TVs, modems, monitors, batteries, wiring, switches and toys. Contact William or Samantha Marais on 071 5387246 with any questions.
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