E-waste recycler EWaste Africa has partnered with Pick n Pay and producer responsibility scheme ERA NPC to build a nationwide network of e-waste collection points in retail stores, in a bid to lift South Africa’s stubbornly low electronics recycling rates.

More than 95 drop-off points are already in place, with a target of more than 200 by 2027. Consumers can deposit unwanted devices into in-store containers with no booking, fee or paperwork.

The containers are intended for small household electronics – mobile phones, tablets, laptops, chargers and cables, and compact appliances such as kettles and toasters – as well as batteries, lighting products and disposable vapes. As a rule of thumb, anything that draws power from a plug, battery or cable qualifies as e-waste, the company said.

South Africa generated an estimated 530 000t of e-waste in 2022, of which fewer than 10% was properly collected and recycled, according to EWaste Africa. E-waste has been banned from South African landfills since 2021, but the company estimates that 90-95% of the material still never reaches a recycling facility, instead being stockpiled at home or dumped.

“E-waste is classified as hazardous waste, and yet the majority of it is still not being properly collected or recycled,” said Mark Williams-Wynn, chief technology officer at EWaste Africa, in a statement. He said discarded electronics can leach toxins such as lead and mercury into the environment, while lithium-ion batteries carry a fire risk if damaged.

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The collection drive sits within South Africa’s extended producer responsibility regime, introduced in 2021, which makes producers and retailers responsible for the end-of-life handling of electronic goods. – © 2026 NewsCentral Media