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Harnessing Maxis’ mWorkforce solution, Erth has been able to help its e-waste collection drivers complete their jobs in half the time as before
Electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops and printers are ubiquitous in modern life, but what happens to the millions of older devices that are no longer in use? Most of them end up in landfills, turning into electronic waste (e-waste).
This has become a growing problem for many countries and in some cases, e-waste is illegally exported to other countries. In late 2022, more than 30 cargo containers were detained in Penang, Malaysia. In them were an estimated 20 tonnes of illegally imported electronic waste (e-waste) from the United States, which were subsequently sent back.
Locally, e-waste is being tackled by companies such as Erth, which stands for Electronic Recycling Through Heroes. Started in 2018 by Gen.T honouree Mohamed Tarek El-Fatatry, Erth has been collecting and recycling hundreds of tonnes of e-waste.
“We aim to make Malaysia one of Southeast Asia's e-waste recycling leaders,” says Mohamed Tarek. According to the entrepreneur, Erth collected 500 tonnes of e-waste in 2022, which was double the amount it collected in 2021. That, he adds, was more than what was collected in the previous three years collectively.
In 2021, Mohamed Tarek was one of two recipients of the inaugural Maxis Awards, which the Malaysian telecommunications company created to support and enhance the impact of local organisations using technology to impact their communities positively. The recognition also gave Erth access to digital tools that would improve the efficiency of its operations.