E-Waste Recycling
E-Waste Recycling
We are a central drop-off point for e-waste.
Most electronics such as TVs, mobile phones and computers, are made of materials that can harm people and the environment if not disposed of properly. Be a responsible kiwi and drop your e-waste off to us.
Household appliances
✔️ Small appliances, such as power tools and alarm clocks - $5 per item
✔️ Domestic Coffee machines - $10 per item
✔️ Cameras, video cameras, landline phones, GPS units - $5 per item
✔️ Domestic heaters, including oil columns, electric and fan heaters - $10 per item
✔️ Vacuum cleaners - $20 per item
✔️ Microwaves - $20 per item
Other electronics
✔️ DVD players, VCRs, gaming consoles - $10 per item
✔️ CD players, stereo systems (including speakers), amps, record players - $10 per item
✔️ Mobile phones - free
✔️ Domestic / household batteries - free
✔️ Commmercial / office collection batteries - $5 per kg
✔️ Laptop and power tool batteries - $5 per kg
✔️ Lithium ion batteries e.g. electric bicycle batteries - $7 per kg
✔️ Miscellaneous electronics - $3 per kg
(Note some miscellaneous items like routers, electronic toothbrushes may be charged per item between $2-$5)
Laptops & UPS (Uninterrupted Power Sources)
✔️ Laptops more than 10 years old or laptops without a charger - $10 per item
✔️ Laptops less than 10 years old, with a charger - free (excluding Chromebooks)
✔️ MacBooks less than 14 old, with a charger - free
✔️ PCs (not including screens) - $10 per item
✔️ Servers, patch panels and switches - $20 per item
✔️ Hubs, routers, modems - $3 per kg
✔️ Cables, memory boards, keyboards, mouses - $3 per kg
✔️ Tablets - $5 per item
✔️ Data destruction or degaussing - $15 per hard drive
TVs & Computer Screens
✔️ TVs - CRTs, CRT Macs, 40inch+ Flat-screen - $40 per screen
✔️ TV flat screen 0- 32 inch - $25 per screen
✔️ LCD/LED/Other computer monitor - $15 per screen
Printers and other office equipment
✔️ Domestic-sized printers, scanners and faxes - $10 per item
✔️ Office printers/photocopiers - please get in touch for advice and to organize a drop-off to our Partners at Remarkit in Upper Hutt
✔️ Copier toner -$4 per kg
Light bulbs
✔️ CFL eco bulbs - $2 each
✔️ Fluorescent tubes - $3 each
Sadly, there are some things we can’t take
❌ Fridges, fridge/freezers, heat pumps, dehumidifiers because of the need for them to be degassed.
❌ Dishwashers, washing machines, ovens etc due to our lack of space for storing large items.
❌ CD’s DVDs, videotapes, cassette tapes - sadly, all landfill. There is still no process for these in Wellington. Op shops may take CDs, DVDs if they’re in their proper cases etc
❌ Incandescent light bulbs (older style) & halogen light bulbs (mr16s & Gu10’s) - check out the Mitre 10 programme.
❌ We can’t accept Lead Acid batteries here but they can be dropped at the Transfer Station (Happy Valley)
❌ Vapes - we can collect the batteries if they have been removed from the vape
There are facilities around the region for accepting some of these items. Check individual sites for what they can accept and any costs associated with disposal. In Wellington City – Southern Landfill Transfer Station. In Porirua - Trash Palace. In Lower Hutt - Earthlink.
Where does the e-waste go?
We work with trusted partners to dispose of the e-waste correctly. Most of the e-waste we collect goes to Remarkit. Mobile phones go to SwapKit, CFL eco bulbs and fluoro tubes go to Interwaste.
Small domestic appliances, which are broken and are primarily metal, are sent to our metal recyclers MacAuley Metals.
We are developing our capacity to reuse electronic items. Laptops under 10 years old, with a charger, are donated to Recycle a Device. Data is wiped off laptops before being sent to schools for refurbishment. Students diagnose issues, replace batteries, hard drives, screens and keyboards. Laptops are gifted to someone who needs it. It’s all about bridging the digital divide.
We give a small selection of items (that are in working order) to the Tip Shop for resale. Our volunteers separate out reusable components and items without a plug that are still in working order (things like mobile phone charging cables, network cables etc). These are available for koha in our EcoShop.
We will continue to update this page as we expand in this space. If you would like to talk partnerships, please get in touch for a korero. We are particularly keen to hear from volunteers who have skills in electronics repair – get in touch here.