Northlanders divested themselves of more than 44 tonnes of e-waste at the weekend as part of the region's fourth free eDay.
A drive-through recycling day was held in 53 drop-off locations nationwide, including Whangarei, Kaitaia, Kerikeri and Kaikohe - up from 38 locations last year.
National organiser Laurence Zwimpfer, of the eDay
New Zealand Trust, said more than 110 shipping containers were filled with old computer equipment and cellphones.
"It demonstrates that there is clearly a lot of old computers out there being stores in cupboards and garages and New Zealanders want a solution to disposing of this gear in an environmentally friendly way," he said.
More than 44 tonnes was collected in Northland; Whangarei 28 tonnes, Kaitaia 3.82, Kerikeri 8.68 and Kaikohe 3.34.
Whangarei's e-day organiser, Vivienne Shepherd of Ecosolutions, said the event ran like clockwork, with volunteers from Youth Transition, Carruth House at Whangarei Boys' High, Rotary Club of Whangarei, WINGS, computer businesses and the community service arm of Corrections, stacking the waste into containers. Mayor Morris Cutforth and Labour MP Kelvin Davis also lent a hand.
Since eDay's inception in 2007, about 58,000 cars have dropped off 274,000 items, diverting an estimated 3200 tonnes of e-waste from landfills.
Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith said eDay was a short-term solution and the Government wanted to see a nationwide network of 20 permanent depots established for e-waste.
As well as the depots, three or four electronic-waste recycling facilities would be set up in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Mr Zwimpfer applauded the Government for funding eDay 2010 and new recycling facilities but said legislation was needed to see a positive difference in the amount of e-waste going to landfills.
The trust advocates for compulsory product stewardship whereby manufacturers are responsible for e-waste disposal by including the cost of recycling into new products' prices.
