Electronic waste a serious problem

Large crowds arrived at the Hyde Park grounds on Thursday to hand over tons of electronic waste at the full day public electronic waste collection day organised by the Metropolitan Group together with the Central Environment Authority and Green Link (Pvt) Ltd, to raise awareness on the dangers of improper disposal of electronic waste and to encourage the public to hand over these items for recycling.

“Electronic waste is a serious problem that is high on the priority of the Government and the central environment authority.

We are looking at an accelerated campaign in June to address this increasing concern and we are happy that Metropolitan has always lead the way and supported our efforts in this endeavour,” said, Chairman of the CEA Dr.Charitha Herath.

Items ranging from computers, typewriters, calculators, CDs, telephones, electrical wires, printers, cartridges and toners, video decks, radios and many other items were handed over for recycling by the public and private sector companies.

This is the second national public awareness electronic waste collection day that was held with many more planned to take the message to the urbanised provinces of Sri Lanka.

“This year we also hope to take our joint electronic waste campaign to the central and southern provinces as a way of creating awareness and ensuring that the public can get rid of the obsolete electronic items piling in their homes and workplaces for recycling,” said Ms.Chamintha Thilakarathna, Senior Manager in charge of this CSR project at Metropolitan.

As an authorised national partners of the CEA for collecting electronic waste for recycling and the lead workplace waste collecting company of the Government's national electronic waste management project, the Metropolitan Group held Sri Lanka's first electronic waste collection public day in April 2011.

At this event, almost 10 tonnes of electronic waste was collected and this year the organisers are confident they can increase waste collection.

“Our request is for all private sector friends and the public to support the central environment authority and metropolitan to achieve the common objective of reducing Sri Lanka's electronic waste,” said Ivor Maharoof of Metropolitan.