AUSTRALIA GETS REAL?

National policy targets e-waste

Posted Thu Nov 5, 2009 4:16pm AEDT
Updated Thu Nov 5, 2009 6:26pm AEDT
E-waste

A national scheme will see 80 per cent of all televisions and computers in Australia recycled by 2021. (ABC News )

* Related Story: National plan needed for e-waste

Computers and televisions will be recycled under a new National Waste Policy to be implemented next year.

The nation's environment ministers today agreed to a national scheme which is expected to see 80 per cent of all televisions and computers recycled by 2021.

In 2007-2008 only one in 10 televisions and computers in Australia was recycled.

Green groups have been calling for the policy.

Piers Verstegen from the Boomerang Alliance says a national recycling scheme is needed because e-waste is increasing by 17 per cent each year.

"We know that in Australia we have a serious waste problem. We've got a problem with electronic waste, we've got a problem with tyres and we've certainly got a problem with bottles and cans," he said.

Computers and televisions will be recycled under a new National Waste Policy to be implemented next year.

The nation's environment ministers today agreed to a national scheme which is expected to see 80 per cent of all televisions and computers recycled by 2021.

In 2007-2008 only one in 10 televisions and computers in Australia were recycled.

Green groups have been calling for the policy.

Piers Verstegen from the Boomerang Alliance says a national recycling scheme is needed because e-waste is increasing by 17 per cent each year.

"We know that in Australia we have a serious waste problem. We've got a problem with electronic waste, we've got a problem with tyres and we've certainly got a problem with bottles and cans," he said.

Industry groups welcome new policy

John Gertsakis from Product Stewardship Australia says the scheme has been a long time coming.

"The television industry has been patiently waiting for regulation for the last four years," he said.

"This now provides the confidence for us to fund the scheme."

Ian Birks from the Australian Information Industry Association has also welcomed the policy.

"We believe it will be a positive thing for the community, for the environment and for the industry at large"

The new system is expected to add up to two dollars to the cost of a new computer or television.

National plan needed for e-waste

By Brigid Glanville for AM

AM | abc.net.au/am

Posted Thu Nov 5, 2009 10:00am AEDT
Updated Thu Nov 5, 2009 10:10am AEDT
E-waste is increasing by 17 per cent each year.

E-waste is increasing by 17 per cent each year. (AFP Photo: Raveendran)

When it comes to recycling, Australians are excellent with their household rubbish but seriously dragging the chain when it comes to disposing of computers and mobile phones.

A leading environmental group is pushing for a national recycling plan and it says old televisions and computers, known as e-waste, are the fasting growing problem.

It is almost two decades since the government devised a national policy on recycling.

Green groups want today's meeting of state and federal environment ministers to address the country's mountainous waste once again.

E-waste is increasing by 17 per cent each year and Piers Verstegen, from the Boomerang Alliance, says Australians are not recycling enough.

"We know that in Australia we have a serious waste problem. We've got a problem with electronic waste, we've got a problem with tyres and we've certainly got a problem with bottles and cans," he said.

"When recycling is one of the best ways to reduce carbon emissions and to increase investment and clean jobs in Australia, we need the Federal Government and the states to be taking leadership and taking action in respect of these waste issues."

A number of environmental groups formed the Boomerang Alliance. They want a national recycling scheme so all states and territories can follow it.

While the manufacturers of various goods such as televisions and computers support recycling, the Total Environment Centre's Jeff Angel says many states do not do it.

"Some states don't recycle very much, such as West Australia and Queensland," he said.

"States such as New South Wales have become static and in fact we don't believe will achieve their targets. And the case of Victoria, only in the last year they reported they went backwards on recycling.

"So we have a new round of challenges. We have new types of products like e-waste and batteries, burgeoning numbers of beverage containers, that we really have to start a new recycling push on."

Environmental groups say a national policy is needed to incorporate a container deposit scheme, offering consumers refunds on beverage cans and bottles. South Australia currently recycles more than 80 per cent of its cans and bottles.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett says today's meeting in Perth will discuss all options.

"I think we've got an obligation to look at the growing piles of e-waste," he said.

"It's really accelerating at a very rapid rate. I believe that we've got the opportunity to do something constructive and positive here which hasn't been done before.

But we're going to have to have a really thorough and what I expect to be pretty engaged discussion about that when we sit down in Perth."