E-waste Recycling

Australia is one of the world’s top ten consumers of electronic goods, buying more than 4 million computers and 3 million televisions every year.
Our reliance on electronic devices is rapidly increasing, making e-waste one of the fastest growing contributors to our waste stream.

Facts about E-waste

of the components in your computer or television can be fully recycled

140,000+

tonnes

of electronic waste generated by Australians every year

23,000

tonnes

of CO2 emissions would be saved if half of the televisions discarded annually were recycled

Definition

What is E-waste?

E-waste is made up of discarded electronics and electrical components. These items can be environmentally harmful if disposed of in landfill as they contain toxic and hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated fire retardants.

If disposed of correctly, the recyclable components can be recovered for reuse and hazardous materials can be treated appropriately.

A national collection and recycling scheme for televisions, computers and computer products is currently in effect under the Product Stewardship Legislation.

What goes in the E-waste bin?

ACCEPTED

All televisions
TV remove controls
Computer monitors
Laptops, iPads and similar tablets
Speakers, headphones

NON-ACCEPTED

Mobile phones
DVD players
Game consoles (Xbox/Playstation)
Video recorders/DVD players
Radios/stereos
Power tools
Digital set top boxes

Acceptance criteria varies across States and Territories.

Cables & IT accessories
Keyboards, computer mice, joysticks
Printers, scanners & web cameras
Motherboards

Appliances e.g. microwaves, fridges
Plastic, metal & glass
Liquids
Chemicals
Food & Garden organics
Products exposed to radiation & chemical hazards

Bin and container options

Where does E-waste go?

E-waste gets put in bins or containers with a grey lid or signage.

Process

How to recycle E-waste

E-waste is collected from businesses and public drop-offs and sent to a recycling facility.

The collected e-waste items are manually sorted, dismantled and categorized into core materials and components which go through specific recycling and recovery processes.

What happens to e-waste?