As a responsible corporate citizen, MultiChoice Namibia recently collaborated with NamiGreen to discard electronic waste (or e-waste) material. This smart partnership supports the endeavors of both institutions to support communities, by committing to a healthier and greener environment.
The intention is to recycle e-waste materials that are no longer being used and electronic equipment that reached the end of its lifespans, such as DStv and GOtv decoders. NamiGreen also processes computers, monitors, printers, and other electronic equipment that do not dispose of easily.
“At MultiChoice Namibia, we frequently evaluate the impact of our business operations to prevent the release of unwanted materials into the environment. Over the years, we have adopted several initiatives to ensure that our working territories are eco-friendly and by partnering with NamiGreen, the e-waste bins will be present at all our branches, namely Eros, Katutura, Ongwediva, and Swakopmund, including our 13 agents across Namibia,” says Roger Gertze, MultiChoice Namibia Managing Director.
According to NamiGreen, e-waste is an emerging environmental issue requiring urgent attention, as it affects human health due to exposure through the food chain, skin contact, or inhalation. Amidst fast-paced technological advancements globally, consumption of electronic equipment is undoubtedly on the rise and so is e-waste.
“It’s critical for us to have a geographical footprint so that Namibians have shorter proximity to drop off their e-waste. One of our goals is to increase the volumes of e-waste as it provides greater employment opportunity within the recycling industry,” NamiGreen’s Managing Director, Per Hansen explained.
Ensuring that they remain eco-friendly, NamiGreen confirmed that e-waste items are not melted, however, separated. Certain fragments of the e-waste materials are exported to various parts of the world and reused to create other products. Appropriate processing of e-waste would ensure an eco-friendly environment, better health, and better productivity.
Being mindful of energy consumption, our staff members consistently investigate innovative best practices to ensure that we adopt a “green” approach to our operations. As such, we recently installed solar panels at our head office in Windhoek, which also contributes to a ‘greener’ environment.