By Annalise Kempen
Image and photo courtesy of Pexels and Unsplash
Every year, as cellphone contracts in South Africa are renewed, hundreds, if not thousands, of these phones end up in drawers or are handed down to children, family members or domestic helpers. Many others become dysfunctional or broken and are simply discarded in the municipal rubbish bin. Many computers, tablets and laptops follow a similar lifecycle. In South Africa, where recycling is neither a habit nor compulsory, few people consider the potential environmental impact of discarding their electronic equipment. But in years to come, we will regret our actions and lack of care when we realise that our love for new tech and ignorance about recycling have destroyed our planet – and then it will be too late.
What is e-waste?
Electronic waste or e-waste refers to all electrical and electronic equipment and its parts, discarded by owners as waste without the intent of re-use.
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[This is only an extract of an article published in Servamus: September 2026. This article is available for purchase.]