Urban Miners and Evolve Ventures Limited have partnered to offer a permanent e-waste drop-off point for locals at the Te Awamutu Resource Recovery Centre, available seven days a week.
Starting this week, unwanted electronics can be dropped off any day, with no need to wait for a scheduled collection event.
As a not-for-profit e-waste recycling organisation, Urban Miners has over 115 volunteers whose job is to comb through unwanted household electronics, mining for the valuable parts that can be salvaged, refurbished or recycled.
Urban Miners chairperson Andrew Bateman says the move is a game-changer for accessibility. “Previously people had to wait for our monthly Te Awamutu collection days to get rid of their e-waste responsibly,” he said.
“Now they can drop it off at a day that suits them, and we hope that convenience is going to make a real difference in enabling more people to help us with our mission.”
A wide range of items will be accepted at the Resource Recovery Centre, including televisions, laptops, mobile phones, printers, small appliances, cables, and batteries.
All items will be processed through Urban Miners’ established recycling network, ensuring materials are diverted from landfill and handled responsibly.
For Evolve Ventures, the partnership is a natural fit with its existing operations at the Te Awamutu Resource Recovery Centre, which already serves as a destination for a wide range of household recyclables and reusable goods.
Clive Peter, Director of Evolve Ventures, says the new service is part of the company’s vision for the centre being a one-stop community facility.
“People can now drop off their old electronics at the same time as they bring in other items for recycling, re-purposing and re-use,” he said.
“It just makes it easy, and that’s what good community recycling infrastructure should do.”
Urban Miners has been collecting and recycling e-waste in the Waipā district for nearly five years, and bases their operations out of their Cambridge facility.
Despite its success in having diverted more than 110 tonnes of e-waste from landfill in that time, the organisation estimates it has reached less than five percent of the e-waste generated in the region, underlining the importance of making collection as convenient as possible.
"People are hoarding their old electronics because they know throwing them in the rubbish isn't right, but they haven’t found the solution or the time to sort it out," Bateman explains. “Having a permanent drop-off location, seven days, is huge for us. We can’t wait to see the collection volumes boosted.”
Urban Miners accepts everything from smartphones and laptops to printers and old CRT televisions, charging modest fees that cover processing, freight, insurance and compliance costs. Household batteries and cords and cables are recycled free of charge.
Evolve Ventures is a locally operated, New Zealand family owned business with over 25 years of experience in waste management and recycling across the Waipa, Otorohanga, Waitomo, Bay of Plenty, Marlborough and Wellington regions, and manages the Te Awamutu Resource Recovery Centre and RePurpose Store.
The Centre’s hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm, and Saturday to Sunday 10am to 3pm.
The monthly Te Awamutu collection events run by Urban Miners will continue alongside the new permanent drop-off point.
DROP-OFF DETAILS
Location: Te Awamutu Resource Recovery Centre, 8 Daphne Street, Te Awamutu.
Monday to Friday: 8am to 4pm
Saturday to Sunday: 10am to 3pm
