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Firefighters Combat Major Blaze Threatening Unique Wetland Ecosystem in New Zealand

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28 Oct, 2024

This post was originally published on Sustainability Times

Source: Sustainability Times

 

A significant wildfire is sweeping through a protected wetland in New Zealand, endangering its fragile ecosystem and the rare species that inhabit it—many of which are found nowhere else on the planet. The fire, located in the Waikato region on the North Island, has expanded to a perimeter of 15 kilometers (nearly 10 miles) and has scorched over 2,471 acres (1,000 hectares) since it ignited on Monday. Authorities warn that it may take several days to fully control the blaze.

Experts are increasingly concerned about the potential damage to one of New Zealand’s largest carbon sinks—natural environments like forests and wetlands that absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they release. These areas are crucial in mitigating global warming and other adverse effects of climate change.

Approximately 50 firefighters are battling the flames, supported by helicopters and planes, near Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. Fortunately, officials have indicated that there is no immediate threat to local residents or businesses. “This is a large fire and it could take some days to bring it under control properly,” stated Incident Controller Mark Tinworth in a recent news release.

The presence of peat—a layer of decomposed plant material commonly found in wetlands—has made the situation particularly challenging, as peat can ignite underground and is difficult to locate and extinguish. The fire poses a severe risk to the wetland ecosystem, which serves as an important habitat and is one of the few remaining of its kind in New Zealand. This area consists of swamps, bogs, marshes, and open water surrounding two rivers and is designated as one of three nationally significant sites in the government’s wetlands restoration program.

The wetland is also listed under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty aimed at protecting vital wetlands. It serves as a breeding ground for threatened bird species such as the Australasian bittern (matuku-hūrepo), the spotless crake (pūweto), and the North Island fernbird (mātātā). In addition to these birds, the wetland is home to other endangered species, including the swamp helmet orchid, which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, it follows a history of environmental degradation affecting the Waikato wetland. This unique habitat has been dramatically altered over the years due to human activities, increased flooding, and the introduction of non-native species, which have significantly impacted the ecosystem’s health and its ability to perform essential functions.

The ongoing fire threatens not only the biodiversity of the wetland but also the carbon storage that these ecosystems provide. “This fire will be releasing some of the stored carbon back into the environment,” remarked a Department of Conservation representative. As firefighters work diligently to contain the blaze, authorities have urged the public to refrain from flying drones in the area to avoid accidents that could hinder firefighting efforts.

“This is a beautiful part of the country with significant environmental value, and we are committed to preventing its destruction,” stated Tinworth, emphasizing the importance of protecting this irreplaceable ecosystem.

The post Firefighters Combat Major Blaze Threatening Unique Wetland Ecosystem in New Zealand appeared first on Sustainability Times.

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Taking the electronic pulse of the circular economy

Taking the electronic pulse of the circular economy

In June, I had the privilege of attending the 2025 E-Waste World, Battery Recycling, Metal Recycling, and ITAD & Circular Electronics Conference & Expo events in Frankfurt, Germany.

Speaking in the ITAD & Circular Electronics track on a panel with global Circular Economy leaders from Foxway Group, ERI and HP, we explored the evolving role of IT asset disposition (ITAD) and opportunities in the circular electronics economy.

The event’s focus on advancing circular economy goals and reducing environmental impact delivered a series of insights and learnings. From this assembly of international expertise across 75+ countries, here are some points from the presentations that stood out for me:

1. Environmental impact of the digital economy

Digitalisation has a heavy material footprint in the production phase, and lifecycle thinking needs to guide every product decision. Consider that 81% of the energy a laptop uses in its lifetime is consumed during manufacture (1 tonne in manufacture is equal to 10,000 tonnes of CO2) and laptops are typically refreshed or replaced by companies every 3–4 years.

From 2018 to 2023, the average number of devices and connections per capita in the world increased by 50% (2.4 to 3.6). In North America (8.2 to 13.4) and Western Europe (5.6 to 9.4), this almost doubled. In 1960, only 10 periodic table elements were used to make phones. In 1990, 27 elements were used and now over 60 elements are used to build the smartphones that we have become so reliant on.

A key challenge is that low-carbon and digital technologies largely compete for the same minerals. Material resource extraction could increase 60% between 2020 and 2060, while demand for lithium, cobalt and graphite is expected to rise by 500% until 2050.

High growth in ICT demand and Internet requires more attention to the environmental footprint of the digital economy. Energy consumption of data centres is expected to more than double by 2026. The electronics industry accounts for over 4% of global GHG — and digitalisation-related waste is growing, with skewed impacts on developing countries.

E-waste is rising five times faster than recycling — 1 tonne of e-waste has a carbon footprint of 2 tonnes. Today’s solution? ‘Bury it or burn it.’ In terms of spent emissions, waste and the costs associated with end-of-life liabilities, PCBAs (printed circuit board assembly) cost us enormously — they generally achieve 3–5% recyclability (75% of CO2 in PCBAs is from components).

2. Regulating circularity in electronics

There is good momentum across jurisdictions in right-to-repair, design and labelling regulations; recycling targets; and voluntary frameworks on circularity and eco-design.

The EU is at the forefront. EU legislation is lifting the ICT aftermarket, providing new opportunities for IT asset disposition (ITAD) businesses. To get a sense, the global market for electronics recycling is estimated to grow from $37 billion to $108 billion (2022–2030). The value of refurbished electronics is estimated to increase from $85.9 billion to $262.2 billion (2022–2032). Strikingly, 40% of companies do not have a formal ITAD strategy in place.

Significantly, the EU is rethinking its Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management targets, aligned with upcoming circularity and WEEE legislation, as part of efforts to foster the circular economy. A more robust and realistic circularity-driven approach to setting collection targets would better reflect various factors including long lifespans of electronic products and market fluctuations.

Australia and New Zealand lag the EU’s comprehensive e-waste mandated frameworks. The lack of a systematic approach results in environmental degradation and missed positioning opportunities for businesses in the circular economy. While Australia’s Senate inquiry into waste reduction and recycling recommended legislating a full circular economy framework — including for imported and local product design, financial incentives and regulatory enforcement, New Zealand remains the only OECD country without a national scheme to manage e-waste.

3. Extending product lifecycles

Along with data security and digital tools, reuse was a key theme in the ITAD & Circular Electronics track of the conference. The sustainable tech company that I lead, Greenbox, recognises that reuse is the simplest circular strategy. Devices that are still functional undergo refurbishment and are reintroduced into the market, reducing new production need and conserving valuable resources.

Conference presenters highlighted how repair over replacement is being legislated as a right in jurisdictions around the world. Resources are saved, costs are lowered, product life is extended, and people and organisations are empowered to support a greener future. It was pointed out that just 43% of countries have recycling policies, 17% of global waste is formally recycled, and less than 1% of global e-waste is formally repaired and reused.

Right to repair is a rising wave in the circular economy, and legislation is one way that civil society is pushing back on programmed obsolescence. Its global momentum continues at different speeds for different product categories — from the recent EU mandates to multiple US state bills (and some laws) through to repair and reuse steps in India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The European Commission’s Joint Research Commission has done a scoping study to identify product groups under the Ecodesign framework that would be most relevant for implementing an EU-wide product reparability scoring system.

Attending this event with the entire electronic waste recycling supply chain — from peers and partners to suppliers and customers — underscored the importance of sharing best practices to address the environmental challenges that increased hardware proliferation and complex related issues are having on the world.

Ross Thompson is Group CEO of sustainability, data management and technology asset lifecycle management market leader Greenbox. With facilities in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Greenbox Group provides customers all over the world a carbon-neutral supply chain for IT equipment to reduce their carbon footprint by actively managing their environmental, social and governance obligations.

Image credit: iStock.com/Mustafa Ovec

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