E-waste is growing three times faster than other types of waste and and the average Australian is generating 23kg of it each per year so we’ve put together a guide and resources on recycling options for e-waste.
The Victorian Government has banned all e-waste from landfill which means e-waste can’t go in any general rubbish or recycling bins.
With most tech becoming obsolete after 5 years, our consumption of electronic products is at an all-time high. But when we upgrade our phone or buy a new laptop, where do our old electronics go?
What is e-Waste
According to Sustainability Victoria, e-waste is any item with a plug, battery or power cord that’s no longer working or wanted. It covers a whole range of items from phones and refrigerators to fluorescent light tubes. Common e-waste items in facility management can include:
- Electrical and electronic tools, drills, lawn mowers, saws
- IT, telecommunications and TV equipment
- Computers, Laptops, Mobile phones, Printers, Remote controls
- Printer cartridges
- E-products is perhaps a better way to refer to them because they are certainly not waste. In fact, they often contain valuable materials like plastic and precious metals including gold, silver, platinum, nickel, zinc, aluminium and copper. These materials can easily be recovered and recycled into something new, which prevents electronics being made from new or ‘virgin’ materials. Recycling your old electronics keeps these materials in use in the circular economy and out of landfills.
- Important Preparation Tips for Recycling e-Waste
- Make sure all data is erased prior to disposing of your items
- Keep all your e-waste together so you don’t forget to recycle anything
- Mark a date in your calendar to recycle your e-waste once or twice a year.
Where to recycle e-Waste
There are a number of government and private services available to recycle e-waste including the following.
- Permanent collection sites at local waste transfer stations or resource recovery centres.
- Retail outlets, eg. Officeworks
- Local Councils
- The National Television and Recycling Scheme (NTRS) is an initiative funded by the Australian government to recycle e-waste for free – for more information on this program please visit:
- . Contact the providers below or your local council for details on services and pricing.
- Recycle Mate provides access to a comprehensive, easy-to-use and up-to-date database of all disposal avenues – via kerbside collection and alternative drop-off for e-waste and batteries.
- Planet Ark also maintains a database of television and computer drop-off points on its website: Planet Ark – RecyclingNearYou.
- TechCollect
- E-Cycle Solutions
- Activ Group
- MobileMuster is a government-accredited organisation that recycles mobile phones and accessories. Visit their website to find out about their collection services and drop-off points.
- Visit https://bcycle.com.au/ for information on battery recycling
We would love to hear from you with questions or recommendations on your experiences with private e-waste operators, please reach out to Billie Buxton for a chat or to join the Danihers Sustainability group.
