KUCHING, May 13: The general public are encouraged to exchange their electronic waste (e-waste) for cash at Sarikei District Council (MDS) compound on May 21, 2022.
According to a recent notice letter by the Department of Environment (DOE) Sarawak, the Electrical and Electronic Waste Collection Campaign 2022 at MDS will commence from 8am to 5pm.
The campaign is co-organised by the DOE in collaboration with the Natural Resources Environmental Board (NREB) and MDS.
“The programme is held to ensure that e-waste is collected and segregated to recover valuable beneficial materials that can contribute to sustainable development and protect the environment.
“E-waste that is not handled in an environmentally friendly manner can cause serious health problems and pollution because e-waste contains some pollutants or heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, beryllium and brominated flame retardants,” the DOE said.
The world produces as much as 50 million tonnes of e-waste a year, and only 20 per cent of this is recycled.
The e-waste produced annually is worth over $62.5 billion, more than most countries’ GDP (UN report 2019).
Based on statistical data from 2021 Global E-Waste Control, 57.4 million metric tons of electrical and electronic device waste was generated worldwide in 2021.
In Sarawak, a total of 73.4 metric tonnes of e-waste was collected in 2020 and 15.2 metric tonnes in 2021. — DayakDaily
