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This really should become a far bigger campaign, with longer legs and running for much longer. It is one of the most important challenges facing the city.

What’s E-waste?
Anything that uses electricity and becomes redundant changes into e-waste. This includes all computers, entertainment electronics, mobile phones, household appliances, office appliances etc.

E-waste is a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their “useful life.” Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products.
Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled. Unfortunately, electronic discards is one of the fastest growing segments of our nation’s waste stream.

Just the phrase “e-waste” makes it sound like your favorite electronics can do a lot of damage, if disposed of in the incorrect manner. But just what exactly is so toxic about these devices that they account for 70 percent of the overall toxic waste that currently fills the landfills? In addition to valuable metals like aluminum, electronics often contain hazardous materials like mercury, lead and nickel. When placed in a landfill, these materials (even in small doses) can contaminate soil as well as drinking water. In 2005, approximately two million tons of e-waste ended up in landfills.
Let’s take it a step further and see what (and how much) toxic material is in your average electronic device.

Computers
CRT computer monitors contains a vast amount of lead, and there are other toxic elements in play when you’re recycling a PC or Mac. Many laptops have a small fluorescent lamp in the screen that contains mercury, a toxic material when inhaled or digested.
Computer circuit boards contain mercury, lead and cadmium. Circuit boards can also feature batteries made of mercury, and also contain mercury switches. Toxic materials make up only a small amount of the volume, but it does not take much lead or mercury to contaminate an area’s soil or water supply – Keep this in mind when you’re figuring out what to do with those old electronic devices.

Televisions
Before there were plasma screen and liquid crystal display (LCD) tubes, we were watching our Rugby games and favourite sitcoms on cathode ray tubes (CRT). The CRT model provides room for all your switches and wires in a box behind the screen, but it also stores a lot of lead. Approximately 20 percent of CRTs are comprised of lead, and equals to between four and eight pounds per unit. Combine this with the fact that the FCC is going to require all televisions to run a digital signal by February 19, 2009, and we could be looking at a lot of lead headed for landfills. Even the smallest amounts of lead can be a serious issue, and we’re talking about eight pounds per unit.

Cellular Phones
While your trusty cellular phone may not contain as much toxic material as larger electronic devices, its shelf life is only about a year and a half for the average consumer. With hip new products like the iPhone coming out all the time, it’s estimated there are over 500 million used cell phones ready for disposal. Cell phone coatings are often made of lead, meaning that if these 500 million cell phones are disposed of in landfills, it will result in 312,000 pounds of lead released.
However, the most hazardous component of the cellular phone is the battery. Cell phone batteries were originally composed of nickel and cadmium (Ni-Cd batteries). Cadmium is classified as a level 1 (human) carcinogen that can cause lung and liver damage. Alternatives contain the potentially explosive lithium, or the previously stated toxic material lead.

Donate Your E-Waste
What We Accept
The PC Graveyard generally accepts e-waste items that contain electronic circuitry, whether working or not. We cannot accept items that may dispense hazardous fumes, liquids or gases.

List of Electronic Waste Accepted

• Answering Machines, Recorders
• CD/DVD Drives, VCRs, Recorders, Players
• Calculators (handheld, desktop, cash registers)
• Cameras (still or movie, digital or cartridge)
• Cell Phones/Blackberries/ Palm products
• Computer Backup Batteries
• Computers/Laptops/ Desktops
• Computer Wire/ Cables (all types)
• Dictation Machines, Recorders
• Dry Ink Toner Cartridges
• Empty Computer Cases
• Fax Machines
• Hard Drives
• Ink Cartridges (empty or full)
• Keyboards, Mice, Speakers
• Medical Monitoring Devices
• Microwave Ovens
• Miscellaneous Computer Parts
• Monitors
• Motherboards
• Power Supplies
• Printers
• Radios, Walkie-Talkies
• Servers
• Telephones
• Televisions (consoles, HDTV, plasma, portable, etc.)
• Large Floor Model Copy Machines

What we do with the waste
The E-Waste we receive from participating businessesindividuals gets categorized into usable and non-usable components.
60% of the usable components are refurbished and sold to defray running costs, and the remaining 40% are used to build up computers which are donated to various organizations such as schools, churches, old age homes, community homes and charities.
We also recycle all non-usable components through various large recycling firms in the correct manner using the cradle-to-grave concept.

Contact us for your best solution for your end-of-life electronics – A viable alternative to e-waste at NO COST TO YOU.

The Pc Graveyard
Ace Milanov
+27 79 406 4822
+27 31 916 3586
www.thepcgraveyard.za.net
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Margi Biggs receives the award for StreetSmart from Nik Racic

StreetSmart SA, a Cape Town based non profit organization, has won the international 2010 Skål EcoTourism Award for uplifting the lives of street children by raising funds in support of social integration and educational programmes through a network of city and winelands restaurants.

The 2010 Skål EcoTourism Award was presented to Margi Biggs, Chairperson of StreetSmart SA at an awards ceremony in Sydney, Australia as part of the 71st Skål World Congress. Founded in 1934 with over 25 000 members in 90 countries, Skål is the largest organisation of travel and tourism professionals in the world, embracing all sectors of the tourism industry, including hoteliers, travel agents and airlines. Committed to the development of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism, Skål is actively involved in the protection of children from sexual exploitation in tourism and supports a new global initiative to eliminate poverty through sustainable tourism.

StreetSmart SA was launched in Cape Town in 2005 under the patronage of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and has since raised more than R3 million towards alleviating the plight of street children. There are currently 76 participating restaurants in this worthy initiative in Cape Town, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Paarl and Somerset West. The current StreetSmart beneficiaries are Learn to Live, Ons Plek and The Homestead in Cape Town, YEA-Youth Empowerment Action in Franschhoek, and Home from Home in Stellenbosch.

“I am thrilled for us to have received this recognition for StreetSmart SA. This helps us to get our message to so many more around the world. Please DO NOT give children money or food on the streets as this keeps them where they are. Rather give to organisations such as StreetSmart SA who make sure agencies are able to help these children in a real way,” said elated Chairperson Margi Biggs after receiving the award prize.

Participating StreetSmart restaurants raise funds by adding a R5 donation to each table’s bill. This donation is voluntary and diners have the option to donate more if they wish. All funds raised through restaurants go to the StreetSmart beneficiaries who use the funds for education, skills training and family reunification programs, helping street children to live a viable life in society.

This year funds donated in Cape Town and the Winelands have increased by 60 %.

Restaurants wishing to participate can log onto www.streetsmartsa.org.za. For more information or to make a donation contact StreetSmart at Tel: 021 418 0621, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.streetsmartsa.org.za.