Comments on: Does Australia Need An E-Waste Levy?

By: John

John — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:10:47 +0000

The whole situation is a bit of a catch-22. Many recycling facilities for ewaste will not set-up shop until there is legislation to guarantee the volume. Where the government will only place legislation until there are facilities to be able handle the volume.

There is one clean technology company that has gone ahead called PGM Refiners which has set-up the first e-waste automated recycling system in Australia which separates e-waste into its recyclable components and value-adds. It is believed the system is able to process over 8000 tonnes/annum of most ewaste. I think they accept waste from from domestic users all the way to corporate giants. Possibly give them a go. Website is http://www.pgmrefiners.com

By: Mish

Mish — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:30:17 +0000

Aus only recycles 4%, Europe recylces 80% e-waste... even the US has a better percentage than us Aussies. Councils should accept e-waste and charge on the small levy to bring us up to the standard of the rest of the world. If we're so serious about ratifying kyoto we need to put our money where our mouth is.

Also, manufacturers need to help too. Ricoh Australia has a free machine recycling service.. .they pick up old machines and pay for the recycling themselves. If all major manufacturers did this, the responsibility is shared.

By: citizendee

citizendee — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 06:45:34 +0000

I would certainly pay an e-waste levy, something that is sorely missing but I can tell you now you won’t get Garret to do anything – he is one of the biggest jokes in parliament. Burned his activist bridges when he joined the Labor Party and has since been a complete dud policy and decision wise.

For Victorian residents, try ByteBack

http://www.bytebackaustralia.com.au

By: samostart

samostart — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:45:59 +0000

My local council has come up with a wonderful solution. They no longer accept e-waste for the kerbside general clean up. They suggest returning it to the manufacturer.

They didn't suggest what I do with the ten-year-old no name clones from shops that no longer exist, or fifty year old TVs made by manufacturers that are no longer manufacturing.

Good one. Would've helped, as well, if they'd mentioned it before we all put our stuff out on the kerb.

But I'm sure they feel good about it.

I don't have a problem with recycling the stuff, but I see my local council closing their eyes to all kinds of recycling - paint, engine oil, e-waste, etc., patting themselves on the back, and hoping that someone else will take it away.

Bitter? Not much.

By: Ben Short

Ben Short — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:45:43 +0000

I agree with the previous comments. There are very few e-waste facilities, and certainly none in my state – we recently had four shipping containers filled with e-waste shipped outside our state for recycling.
I am all for levies and taxes to reduce e-waste reaching landfill. I really think Garrett as an environment minister is letting everyone down.

By: Arran

Arran — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:23:00 +0000

Even having a place to take your stuff for recycling would be a start…I’ve got 3 monitors I’ve been hanging on to for years waiting for some place to take them for recyling.

By: David Wyndham

David Wyndham — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:56:19 +0000

You just need to make it easy for people to be able to recycle as a first step. Plastic, tin cans, paper all go in the bin outside your house. Easy so it happens (for the most part).

But e-waste? Ask people where they can recycle it and the answer will be "Umm, I don't know". Personally I know of a few phone stores that recycle phones, but that is about it. There is e-waste disposal here at Uni somewhere, but as for dumping stuff from my house, I use the place it on the nature strip and it magically vanishes. Reuse is better for the environment than recycle afterall.