Thank you for putting in the effort with recycling, and for using RecyclingNearYou as a handy tool to figure out what to do with those trickier items. We’ve put together the three most common searches and put them in a quick reference guide for you.
Machines that go Beep
Australians purchase over 2.4 million computers every year, which makes it no surprise that computers are consistently in our top recycling enquiries. Since 2012 the National TV and Computer Recycling Scheme has made it easy for householders and small businesses to recycle their computers and TV for free.
Manufacturers and importers develop arrangements for the collection, transport and recycling of equipment. An example of these arrangements is the not-for-profit group TechCollect.
In 2013-14 more 52,700 tonnes of e-waste was recycled though the program. Find a location near you for householders and for businesses.
Little Electronics
Electronic appliances become e-waste when discarded, and include items as wide as DVD players, fax machines, mobile phones, cameras, radios, gaming devices, radios, printers…you get the idea! The category is wide and ever growing, making it even more important to dispose of them mindfully as they do not break down in landfill.
There isn’t a national recycling scheme that covers all e-waste, but there are specific programs for mobile phones, printer cartridges, and as mentioned above, TVs and computers.
MobileMuster, Storage King and EcoActiv have teamed up to provide an e-waste recycling box for $3.50, which can be used for mobiles and other small electronic items. ‘Cartridges 4 Planet Ark’ is a free program where the participating manufacturers – Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Konica Minolta and Kyocera – cover the cost of collecting, sorting and recycling used cartridges
Battery Buzz
Over 300 million household batteries are put into landfill every year, which is equal to 8,000 tonnes of batteries every year. It can be confusing to know where to put them and they may contain toxins.
Many councils offer regular collections and/or provide drop off locations for hazardous waste. Aldi supermarkets offer free recycling for all AA, AAA, C, D and 9V batteries. Ikea has a collection for some handheld batteries and selected Battery World stores offer free recycling. Find more battery recycling options near you.
To have all this recycling information and more in a handy app for your smartphone, download RecycleSmart and answers will always be a few clicks away!