As part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of World Environment Day, in order to familiarize Kazakhstanis with the practice of separate waste collection and popularize the mechanisms for collecting hazardous waste, we present to your attention the “Memo on the environmental disposal of electronic and electrical equipment”.

“Memo on environmental disposal of electronic and electrical equipment”

Waste of electronic and electrical equipment contains hazardous substances and compounds such as cadmium, antimony, lead, mercury, which have a negative impact not only on the environment, but also on human health. Once in the human body, they remain there for a long time and begin to gradually accumulate in the liver, kidneys, bones, thyroid gland and can cause cancer.

Also in laser printers, toners are installed, the chemical composition of which includes: compounds of carbon polymers, iron oxide, organic tin compounds and inorganic additives, which, as studies show, cause headaches, coughs, fever, and malaise.

In addition, with the "improper" disposal of one AA battery, 20 cubic meters of soil or more than 400 liters of drinking water are poisoned.

The management of the retail chains Technodom, Alser, Ramstore provides places for the collection of electrical equipment by placing eco-boxes and subsequently disposes of it through specialized companies. The following are accepted as waste: household appliances (TVs, tape recorders, electric toys, irons, energy-saving lamps, batteries, hair dryers, kitchen equipment, including refrigerators, etc.), org. equipment (computers and components, cell phones, tablets, copiers, scanners, toners, etc.), mercury-containing waste (fluorescent lamps, energy-saving lamps, thermometers, etc.).

According to Article 301 of the Environmental Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, it is prohibited to accept certain types of waste for disposal at landfills: hazardous waste that is explosive, corrosive, oxidizable, highly flammable or flammable under landfill conditions; mercury-containing lamps and devices; batteries lithium, lead-acid; electronic and electrical equipment.

Users of electronic and electrical equipment that has become unusable are prohibited from disposing of it in unsorted municipal waste collection sites, i.e. into garbage containers.

To reduce the possible negative impact on the environment and human health due to the content of harmful substances in the composition of electrical and electronic equipment, it is necessary to use the available collection points for waste electronic and electrical equipment for the disposal and recycling of waste from the production of this equipment.