AIIA and PSA form product stewardship group following federal e-waste decision

A new product stewardship group, known as Product Stewardship Organisation (PSO), will be formed to act as the primary entity charged with delivery of a national IT and TV recycling scheme in Australia.

The group is the result of an agreement between the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and Product Stewardship Australia (PSA), IT and consumer electronics groups, respectively.

The announcement of PSO follows the introduction of the Product Stewardship Bill into federal parliament, which will provide the regulations necessary for manufacturers, suppliers and importers of IT equipment and TVs to finalise plans for a national e-waste scheme.

The AIIA and PSA both welcomed the bill, with the AIIA labelling it a “significant step towards supporting industry efforts to deliver a national scheme”.

“The AIIA and its Environmental Special Interest Group are very pleased to see the federal government act on such an important environmental issue,” AIIA CEO Ian Birks said.

John Gertsakis, Executive Director of PSA, said: “PSA has been a strong supporter of legislation which balances government intervention, measurable environmental outcomes and social demand.

“The importance of government policies and regulations which meet community expectations, but are also flexible and enable industry to operate efficiently, is paramount,” Gertsakis said.