National E-Waste Scheme In Danger Of Failing Before It Even Begins

National E-Waste Scheme In Danger Of Failing Before It Even Begins

There are plenty of ways of recycling unwanted mobile phones and other portable gadgets, but when it comes to ditching your old TV or computer, finding a viable recycling option can actually be nigh on impossible. And it looks like that may not change in the near future, despite attempts at creating a national e-waste recycling scheme.

Karen Dearne over at Australian IT tells us that the Total Environment Centre believes that the TV and computer recovery program is being jeopardised by the federal sustainability department by not looking at the big picture.

The centre said the paper changed the main goal of achieving an 80 per cent recycling rate over time, to simply “lifting collection-only rates” to 80 per cent. “It’s critical to understand that the collection rate is not synonymous with recycling. Actual recovery rates will be well below this level.”

Also unhappy with the plan are the companies involved, who believe that the scheme’s “voluntary” nature will open the door to cheap importers who will end up with a competitive advantage because they aren’t part of the program.

In any case, it looks like a universal recycling scheme for e-waste is still a way off for Australia, which is a shame given how much of it is already ending up in landfill.

[Australian IT via Lifehacker]


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