Redland City Council has extended its trial which allowed residents to take e-waste to Recycling and Waste Centres for free, as part of an annual collection drive – to reduce e-waste ending up in landfill.
The trail was extended following positive community feedback.
Redland City Council Mayor, Karen Williams, said the e-waste collection service was now available at any time on North Stradbroke Island, Coochiemudlo, Macleay and Russell Islands until April 2023.
“Council has been trialling e-waste collection drives on the islands to ascertain if a full time collection drive is feasible,” Mayor Williams said.
“A trial in February saw around 2.64 tonnes of e-waste deposited at dropoff centres on the four manned island based Recycling and Waste Centres. It’s encouraging to see island residents embrace the trial and the opportunity to be more environmentally responsible with their e-waste rather than rely on it going to landfill.
“While our mainland Recycling and Waste Centres receive an average of 270 tonnes of e-waste each year, we’d like to see this service offered to our island residents.
“The e-waste collection drive has been an annual event for the last three years in response to community feedback and as an action to reduce waste to landfill; and island e-waste collection drives have collected over six tonnes of e-waste.”
Mayor Williams said e-waste is harmful to the environment if it ends up in the wrong place and that recycling it is good for the environment because it saves the resources that were mined and used in electronics such as copper, metal, leaded glass and plastics.
This new waste collection system is also contributing to a circular economy, especially as e-waste also contains rare earth minerals which have become increasingly harder to source in recent years.
“As we head towards a zero waste future, it’s more important than ever for residents right across Redlands Coast to think carefully about the many ways that they can reduce the amount of waste that they send to landfill and to match it with actions,” Mayor Williams said.
“E-waste is one of the fastest growing types of waste worldwide and it’s concerning that a country like Australia generates the highest amount of e-waste per capita in the world, with the average household creating more than 73kg of e-waste each year, when we know that most of it could be recycled.
“I encourage our island residents to take advantage of this free year-round collection and ensure that they are thoughtful and responsible with their e-waste disposal and not just send it to landfill.”
Redland City Council accepts the following e-waste:
- TVs, interactive displays, digital displays, data projectors, video and tape players
- Computer equipment
- Mobile phones
- Printers, copiers and multifunction printers
- POS equipment
- Small kitchen, bathroom and laundry appliances, e.g. toasters, kettles, hairdryers, shavers and irons (microwaves and large appliances are accepted as scrap metal)
- Power drills, vacuums and sound systems
