E-Waste Action Week sees hundreds of items donated
Hundreds of items were handed in during North Kesteven E-Waste Week
More than 1,400 items were donated for refurbishment or recycling by environment-conscious residents through North Kesteven’s E-Waste Action Week.
Through the initiative, donated items will be refurbished and distributed to good causes, both locally and more widely.
Provisional figures show 303 mobile phones, 82 laptops, 87 tablets and more than 900 cables were counted in, the cables alone weighing more than 115kg! All devices donated are securely data wiped by professionals, assuring safety for donors.
The final figures are likely to be higher, with many cables being handed in in bulk or at donation points, and not yet counted or weighed. As part of the event, nine community drop-off points were set up around the district, including parish council offices, churches and libraries. There were also donation events as part of two repair cafes - in Sleaford and Bracebridge Heath.
When asked to identify why they had chosen to drop items off for refurbishment or recycling, nearly 56 per cent said it was to help the environment. Nearly a third felt more confident in dropping off their e-waste knowing that the data would be safely taken care of. 1 in 4 people suggested that they hadn’t previously known how to dispose of e-waste properly.
Electronic waste – e-waste - consists of all those electrical and electronic items we discard, including cables, which millions of us stash in drawers and cupboards. These items are packed with useful materials that could be reused, lessening the environmental damage caused by mining raw materials.
The Action Week is a partnership between North Kesteven District Council and Sleaford Climate Action Network, (SleafordCAN), and builds on a successful first event last year which focused on the Sleaford area.
Council Leader Coun Richard Wright said the event was “fantastic”: “On top of the donated items, we’ve been sharing information and spreading the word about the hidden potential of e-waste, and the importance of proper recycling.
“We thank SleafordCAN, Sivill Service and all the donation points around the district for their support, without which the event would not be possible. Well done, also, to North Kesteven residents for taking the time to hunt out and donate their items.”
The repair cafés, run by SleafordCAN, were successful in bringing together broken items with skilled fixers.
At the Sleaford Repair Cafe, 47 items were brought in for repair, and 49 phones, 12 laptops, 16 tablets and 35.5kg of cables were donated.
Tim Grigg of SleafordCAN said: “It’s been a great week, and our repair café events have again proved popular, with many electricals being repaired, amongst other items like clothes and tools. It’s really satisfying to have a direct impact and knowing that we’re helping to reduce the problem of e-waste.”
The Action Week relies on the support of IT company Sivill Service in Tattershall, who provide their services free of charge. Sivill Service refurbishes the items or processes them before recycling, alongside their regular work and their extensive charitable work with similar projects.
Items refurbished and returned to working order through the Action Week will be distributed locally in the first instance, if they are compatible with current UK systems such as 4G and 5G. Older working devices are distributed to humanitarian organisations in Ukraine and Ghana where the technology is still usable. Anything that cannot be put back to working order is responsibly recycled, returning critical resources such as copper into use.