January 2011: The first “E-waste Day” in the Pacific region was held in the Cook Islands, in December 2010, with technical and financial support from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), e-Day Trust New Zealand and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).

The Day was organized by a local committee comprising staff from the Cook Islands National Environment Services, the Office of the Prime Minister’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Unit and some private companies. According to statistics collected on the first-ever E-waste Day, 5154 pieces of e-waste were collected, including 1147 computers, 1101 monitors, 543 printers and scanners and 476 keyboards. Fifty volunteers assisted in the operations, which concluded with a shipment to New Zealand.

SPREP, e-Day Trust and SPC are expected to continue their collaboration so as to replicate the E-waste Day experience in other Pacific Island countries and territories. [IISD RS sources] [SPC Press Release]