K-Rudd & Co Considering Tax On TVs and PCs To Pay For Recycling
According to a report by Glenn Milne of the Herald Sun, the Aussie Government is considering a ‘recycling tax’ on TVs and PCs, which would be used to help pay the costs of recycling old hardware.
The tax, which was recommended in a government-funded report by Price Waterhouse Coopers, is apparently as much to do with paying for the program as it is an attempt to force a change in the behaviour of both consumers and businesses. Because as it stands, us Australians are a bunch of environmental criminals when it comes to disposing of old TVs and PCs. Although from personal experience, that’s mostly due to a lack of options when it comes to getting rid of old machines – my local council doesn’t offer any electronics recycling…
The Herald Sun report reckons the tax would add about $30 to the price of a new TV. If that’s the case, I’m all for it. After all, what’s $30 when you’re already spending upward of $2K on a new telly? Especially if it means that your old TV won’t end up in landfill poisoning the planet.
As it stands, the report is in the “community consultations” stage for about six months. What happens after that is anyone’s guess.
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Comments
My local council DOES have an electronics recycling drop-off centre at the local tip, it’s great. I’m in 100% support for this tax, $30 is nothing.
ok, so how do we dispose of our stuff then? how are we men’t to dispose of it now? my current level of expertise in the matter extends only to the little crossed out wheelie bin sticker on everything that suggests I can’t throw it out with the normal rubbish. so then how am i meant to dispose of it?
You have to take it to a prescribed electronics recycling place. Your local council might have one like mine does, but the chances are not.
What this tax would be paying for is the proliferation of electronics recycling facilities.
Damn good idea. This is about taking responsibility for the end-of-life costs of the item when you buy it. My area does have electronics recyclers near-ish. I’m currently looking to get rid of a couple of a couple of old PC monitors I don’t need, and the recyclers charge $25-30 per monitor because of the hazardous chemicals in them.
It would be a lot easier to swallow a $30 tax when I buy a new thing that is worth hundreds, than to wear a $30 hit because a want to do the right thing with something that has no value anymore.
It sounds like a good idea however I’d like to pretend I dont like this and present a quick arguement.
Will people recycle their electronics after this tax still? Whats going to change? Most of us already have some avenues to recycle technology but do not know it. I believe there are organisations that exist that will be happy to take old computers free of charge to refurbish and give away to those without. Are there similar organisations for other equipment? Perhaps awareness is all we need.
Unfortunatly, you can’t donate electronics to charities anymore. My grandfather used to fix donated broken tv’s as a hobby and then give them to St Vincents, who’d then sell them to families at a huge discount. But that’s illegal now.
Perhaps an incentive is needed to recycle old technologies. In SA, you get rewarded 10c per can, carton or bottle you take to the local depo. Maybe a similar scheme may be needed to encourage electronic recycling.
In reply to Damien’s comment, I don’t understand why recyclers would charge money to recycle an old monitor etc. That would encourage me to do the wrong thing and throw it out.
In my opinion, I believe areas of low social status currently contribute the worst recycling habits in Australia. Driving through the lower classed suburbs, there are always old broken television’s or computers out the front of properties just waiting to be cleared by the local council. Perhaps they can’t afford to pay for the recycling. More likely they just dont care. In the end they win, the council collects it regardless. Does the council then recycle it? Ha.
An idea perhaps is to take these technologies, and give them to a poorer country where these technologies don’t exist, and donate them to schools, hospitals, government, military… Whatever, who cares, it’s not our problem no more. RECYCLED! WIN!
I’d agree a tax might be a good idea, however maybe it isn’t needed on all technology. Just things with hazardous chemicals. Car batteries are similar to this catergory. I think my council rewards the recycling of those, but I can’t remember. CBF to google…
I suppose the question is what the government will do with the money and how will they use it to recycle technology?
Apologies on grammer…
Also, how long does the average person keep their television/PC? I’ve had my Hitachi plasma since 2004 now, and will probably keep it at least another 5 years (or longer) because with it’s 1080i res and decent pannel, it’s still a fantastic television to watch movies and TV on. So saying I have it for 10 years all up, that’s $3 a year additional to the cost to help it end up in the “right” place.
It’s not good to see the retailer’s associations and opposition are doing the usual lack of forward or critical thinking about the subject, as expected. (as seen in that news.com.au article).
Charging a tax at sale will not mean it’s going to be recycled at the end of its useful life, unless that tax then gets refunded to you, plus interest, when you recycle it.
As with anything else LaboUr does, it’s another tax grab; this time using the environment as a convenient excuse.
You’re right, it doesn’t guarantee that the product will be recycled. But if that tax money is used to set up recycling plants and programmes specifically for recycling electronics that are as easy to use as your regular paper and plastic recycling, then that’s money well spent. At least IMO…
Why would they just put it on technology? Why not put a tax on everything to deal with its environmental effects? Like a Green GST.