Unsure of what to do with all of that computer junk in the office storeroom?

Take a walk around your office and more than likely somewhere in the work space is a collection of redundant computer equipment. Some of the more common items include monitors, CPU’s, power cords, network cabling and of course the trusty mouse. Invariably when an IT component fails and is replaced they don’t tend to find their way into a suitable waste stream, they normally wind up in the storeroom and that’s where it will stay until that space will take no more.

But fear not, you are not alone. Here are a few facts about ‘E Waste’ in Australia

Did you know that approximately 40,000 tonnes of IT equipment was collected last year that’s the equivelant of 200 Blue Whales
This figure is set to increase to over 180 000 tonnes toward the end of the decade. That’s about 650 A380 Airbuses
So what to do with all of those E Waste items in your office? Well, the general waste stream where your ‘day to day’ rubbish goes is not the place for these items.

The good news is that the removal of these items is carried out Free of Charge if you use a Government Approved service under the National Television & Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS). An organisation called TechCollect, an alliance between local government, industry and component manufacturers is a free service provided ‘by the industry, for the industry’.

Currently, the TechCollect service handles televisions, computers and supporting accessories but it will eventually broaden to include most electrical appliances & equipment.

We are pretty good at paper and cardboard recycling but awareness of the options for the recycling of electrical goods is quite low but with greater awareness will come an increase in the amount of product diverted from landfill.

A couple of useful sites are www.recyclingnearyou and www.techcollect.com.au

Source: Inclean Vol 27 Issue 1 P 31