“Historic”: national e-waste program for 2011

Australia’s environment ministers have endorsed a new national waste policy, which will establish a landmark scheme for recycling televisions and computers.

At a meeting of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council in Perth, the ministers set out the first-ever framework to address resource recovery and waste management on a national level.

Under the new policy, which is targeting the mounting problem of e-waste as the first area for action, by 2011 householders will be able to drop off used computers and television sets for recycling, free of charge.

In 2007-08, 16.8 million televisions, computers and computer products reached their end of life, with 84 per cent sent to landfill. Only 10 per cent were recycled.

“If Australia were to continue without any form of product stewardship scheme, projections suggest that approximately 44 million televisions and computers would be discarded in 2028, ” said Environment Minister Peter Garrett, in a statement announcing the national waste policy.

“Under the new product stewardship scheme, 80 per cent of all TVs and computers are expected to be recycled by 2021.”

The new waste policy essentially outlines Government support for what will be an industry-led e-waste collection and recycling scheme, which will see manufacturers and importers taking responsibility for their goods from cradle to grave.

For industry and community organisations that voluntarily run computer and television take-back and recycling schemes, the Government will provide an accreditation scheme so that the community can be sure what they recycle through those programs will be reused or recycled in an ethical and environment-safe way.

For non-participants in the scheme, the Government will work to ensure their products and actions comply with the same standards as voluntary participants in the scheme, ensuring that “free-riders” are unable to gain a financial advantage over those companies that willingly contribute to recycling their own products.

Community education programs surrounding the new stewardship program are also expected to be run by both industry and the Government.

“Today’s decision represents a win for industry, consumers and the environment,” said Ian Birks, CEO of The Australian Information Industry Association, a long-term campaigner of a national e-waste approach.

Several industry members have also already stepped forward to voice their support for their scheme.

“E-waste has been one of the most significant environmental issues facing Australia and now is the time to begin implementing a national…recycling scheme,” said Steve Rust, Managing Director of Panasonic Australia.

“Every month tens of thousands of televisions end up in landfill and the sooner the program can begin the better it will be for everyone.”

Also at today’s meeting, the ministers paved the way for an industry-led recycling scheme for used tyres, to boost the currently small 13 per cent recycling rate.

With Australia producing almost 44 million tonnes of waste in 2006-07 – a 31 per cent increase in five years – and with waste levels projected to continue to grow, national leadership in the critical issue of waste management was overdue, Minister Garrett said.

“It has been 17 years since these issues were looked at in a national context and we now have a clear path for future action and a huge step up on existing efforts.”

The national waste policy sets out an agenda for coordinated national action on waste, he said, representing a “fundamental shift” that will lead to less waste and better management of waste as a resource in a safe and environmentally sound way.

The Minister said the new approach had been developed in consultation and with the support of industry as well as key non-government organisations, and that a report on the state of Australia’s waste is expected to be released later this year.

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