National Waste Policy Promises Simpler PC Recycling
Individual PC manufacturers have offered takeback schemes in the past — some good, some not so good — but we haven’t had any concrete plans for a national scheme to make any PC you purchase easily recyclable. Until now.
Picture by rofanator
At a meeting of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council this week, plans to roll out an industry-wide takeback scheme for computers and televisions were announced:
Ministers agreed that the Australian Government would, under the new product stewardship legislative framework, implement regulation to support an industry-led scheme that will collect and recycle end of life televisions and computers. The legislative framework will work to ensure non-participants in the industry-led scheme/s comply with the same standards as voluntarily participants in the scheme.
In other words: opting out is not an option. We’ll be pleased when the scheme is actually in place (2010 seems indicated), but it’s definitely a promising start, given the sloppy record Australia has for electronics recycling.
EPHC Communique [EPHC - PDF link]
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Comments
I’m interested to see how this will work. As the owner of a computer shop in rural Australia I am worried that a large part of the cost of the takeback scheme will fall on my shoulders. Freight currently costs me a bit over $100 to return an average size computer to my nearest capital city. Who will pay for this? And how can this scheme only add $2 to the cost of electronics when it costs so much to return goods to capital cities.
About time with TVs likely about to be disposed of in record numbers as the change over gets closer it should have been up and running years ago.
Victorians have access to byteback (http://www.bytebackaustralia.com.au/) for old PC stuff (till the end of the year i believe).