Ask Arthur: How can we get rid of e-waste?

Q: What can I do with electronic waste?

A: Electronic waste, or e-waste, refers to any electronic device that has reached the end of its useful life. It can include anything from cell phones to computers to appliances to Tamagotchis. Yes, that old.

E-waste is a major environmental issue because it contains hazardous materials such as lead, cadmium, and mercury that can be harmful to both human health and the environment.

The good news is, there are a few options:

Recycle: Recycling is one of the best ways to dispose of e-waste. Do a search with Google or Bing with the phrase “electronic waste South Africa “, or using the name of your city, and you are likely to come up with a few e-waste recycling companies or projects that accept old electronics for recycling. Recycling e-waste not only protects the environment, but also recovers valuable resources like gold, copper, and silver.

Donate: Many charity or non-profit organisations accept old electronics and refurbish them for use by schools or people in need.

Sell: If a gadget e-waste is still functional, try selling it. Online marketplaces like Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace allow you to sell old electronics to others who may be looking for such items.

Repurpose: An old smartphone can be turned into a media player, or an old laptop could become a dedicated machine for a specific task, like storage.