Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

CEA INITIATES E-WASTE COLLECTION PROGRAMME WITH DEPT OF POSTS

- BY SHEAIN FERNANDOPU­LLE

The Central Environmen­tal Authority (CEA) in collaborat­ion with the Department of Posts has initiated a programme to collect Electronic waste (E-waste) through post offices. Postmaster General, Ranjith Ariyaratne told Daily Mirror the programme was initiated as a CSR project launched by the Department of Posts in line with World Post Day, which falls on October 10.

People can hand over E-waste like mobile phones, computers, television­s, radios, stereos to the respective post offices from October 5 to 10.

“Only domestic E-waste items are accepted and not industrial items used in companies,” Ariyaratne said.

“There are several post offices where sufficient space is not available. Therefore, Divisional Secretaria­t offices will be utilised to accommodat­e the waste in such situations.

Meanwhile, Chairman Siripala Amarasingh­e said this programme would be really effective with respect to disposing E-waste in a proper manner.

“There is no proper mechanism for disposal of E-waste in Sri Lanka and it is one of the largest forms of waste right now.

When asked as to what would done once

E-waste are collected, a senior official of the CEA said the collected e-waste will be recycled and the items that can’t be recycled will be re-exported.

E-waste includes mobile phones, computers, television­s, radios, stereos, VCRS and other kitchen electrical appliances.

Due to the lack of a proper disposal mechanism, such waste is either accumulate­d in households or disposed to the environmen­t.

E-waste like mobile phones, computers, television­s, radios, stereos can be handed over to the respective post offices from October 5 to 10

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