FEATURED TOPIC – E-WASTE
Tackling Australia’s e-waste crisis
Recycling Wall Hubs allow organisations to easily support e-waste programs and diversify into community programs.
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SOURCE SEPARATION SYSTEMS’ RECYCLING HUBS ARE HELPING TO SHORT CIRCUIT PROBLEMATIC WASTE.
ustralians love new technology. As a nation of early adopters, we embrace new devices and technology faster than most other developed countries. But with it comes a throw-away attitude. There is an increasing trend, fuelled by consumption, reducing product life cycles and limited repair options, for end-of-life technology to be dumped in landfill. In fact, e-waste is the fastest growing component of
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council solid waste, growing about three times the rate of other streams. While e-waste is well acknowledged as a pollutant that should be diverted from landfill, there is growing recognition that finite resources such as tin, nickel, zinc and copper should be recovered as Australia transitions to a circular economy. The Australian Government is pushing product stewardship with the National Television and Computer
Recycling Scheme, which mirrors well established programs such as MobileMuster in acknowledging the shared responsibilities of life cycle management for those involved in manufacturing and selling products. Many local councils are also playing a key role in separating e-waste, in part supported by EPA grants. Peter Cruwys, Managing Director of Source Separation Systems, says that to achieve a circular economy, processing
