The Victorian Government has announced it will provide $2 million in grants for local councils and industry to develop e-waste infrastructure across the state.
Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio, said the funding was aimed to improve Victoria’s collection, storage and reprocessing of electronic goods so valuable resources, such as precious metals and plastics, can be reused or made into new products.
“We’re supporting local councils and industry to keep potentially toxic e-waste out of landfill,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
“This funding will allow e-waste to be reprocessed locally into valuable products – boosting jobs, supporting local businesses and helping divert more waste from landfill.
“It’s part of our ongoing work to build a strong and sustainable e-waste resource recovery sector across Victoria.”
This new round of funding will focus on building e-waste reprocessing capability and capacity, while continuing to ensure the collection of e-waste is conducted to the highest standard.
The Victorian Government introduced a ban on e-waste to landfill in July 2019 to pave the way for electronic items to be safely disposed of and reduce the harm these items have on the environment and human health.
The ban means e-waste items are prohibited from being placed in household bins and instead must be taken to an e-waste drop-off point.
E-waste is defined as any item with a plug, battery or cord that is no longer working or wanted, and is the fastest-growing type of waste worldwide with most electronic devices such as phones, computers, TVs and whitegoods ending up in landfill.
To support the ban, the Victorian Government has invested $16.5 million to upgrade e-waste collection sites across Victoria and raise public awareness about how to dispose of e-waste correctly.
There are now more than 1000 locations across the state that accept a range of e-waste items.For more information, or to find your nearest e-waste drop-off point, click here.
