The Victorian Government has announced it will ban e-waste to landfill on 1 July, 2019.
This ban intends to increase the volume of resources recovered and support jobs in the recycling industry while keeping potentially dangerous chemicals out of landfill.
E-waste is currently categorised by the government as any device with a power cord or battery that is no longer wanted or useful.
The following e-waste will no longer be permitted to landfill in Victoria:
- Phones and tablets
- Computers and laptops
- Televisions
- Microwaves
- Toasters
- Lawn mowers
- Lighting equipment.
In landfill, these items can pose a threat to the environment and human health because of the chemicals and materials they contain.
Research from the 2017 Managing E-Waste in Victoria Policy Impact Assessment shows e-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the entire country. In fact, it has increased three times faster than general municipal waste.
It’s estimated that TV and computer waste alone will increase by over 60% – 85,000 tonnes – by 2024.
New e-Waste Management in Victoria
Don’t worry – you won’t have to keep your preloved devices in your drawers forever.
The state government announced a $16.5 million investment into the sector to improve the infrastructure required for the ban.
Sustainability Victoria is managing the funding, allocating $15 million to upgrading over 130 collection and storage sites across Victoria, and $1.5 million to an awareness and education campaign.
Minister for Environment Lily D’Ambrosio announced the funding boost in October 2018, stating it will result in 98% of Victorians having reasonable access to drop-off facilities ahead of the ban.
Councils will be prepared to take e-waste, which will then be dismantled for reprocessing into new technology or sold on the second-hand goods market.
You can read more about the e-waste Victoria landfill ban in this article from Waste Management Review.
Shred-X e-Waste Management and Recycling
As technology advances, many individuals and businesses want to stay ahead of the game and always have the latest equipment.
But what do you do with those outdated old desktops when it’s time to say goodbye? If you can’t take them to the rubbish tip, are they destined to take up storage space in your home or office?
Wherever you live in Australia, most of your obsolete equipment can be taken off your hands and diverted from landfill through e-waste recycling and e-waste repurposing.
Not only do these forms of e-waste management reduce potential danger to the environment and our health; they can also protect you against data leaks. This is because our e-waste management involves destroying the data before ethically and safely recycling the assets.
Shred-X provides electronics recycling in Victoria and all around Australia to help keep your sensitive information private and keep potentially hazardous e-waste materials out of landfill.
Learn more about the importance of e-waste destruction and recycling in this article.
Learn more
Discover all of our e-waste management services, or call our friendly team on 1300 747 339 to learn more.