TechCollect calls for more responsible e-waste disposal

Businesses need to increase their recycling efforts to help reduce the amount of e-waste going into landfill, according to TechCollect.

Recent research reveals 6.5 million tonnes of business waste is going into landfill every year, yet nearly eight out of 10 small businesses believe reducing waste and increasing recycling is a key component of being a sustainable and ethical business.

In Victoria, the state government has invested $500,000 in Social Enterprise Outlook Environmental, which is building a new facility that will divert thousands of tonnes of e-waste from landfill.

As part of the ongoing effort to encourage all businesses to ensure their e-waste is responsibly recycled, TechCollect will be holding its annual Waste Not, Want Not Day on 13 December.

Carmel Dollisson, CEO of TechCollect, said it is crucial that business owners ensure responsible waste management practices are in place not only for the environment, but to meet changing employee and customer expectations around this important issue.

“With Waste Not, Want Not Day approaching, we encourage all businesses and employees to mark 13 December in the calendar, get their old electronic devices out of the cupboard or company storerooms and ensure they’re responsibly recycled. TechCollect ensures that at least 90% of the valuable resources in those devices are put back into the manufacturing process to be re-used in new products, a far better outcome for the environment than creating new products from virgin materials.”

Recent research prepared for Planet Ark highlights how workers and the public are embracing organisations that take recycling seriously, with 82% of employees wanting to see more e-waste recycling in their workplaces. Additionally, three out of four businesses agree that good waste management improves public perception of the business.

“Businesses who put sustainability at the top of their agenda report higher recruitment and staff retention rates and an overall increase in employee engagement and productivity. As awareness of good recycling practice continues to grow among Australians, employees also expect their company to have an active environmental policy in place,” said Dollisson.

“Whilst there are many businesses doing a good job at recycling other items such as cardboard and paper, there is much more work to be done in the corporate sector in electronic waste recycling. We need to create an environment in which responsibilities are more evenly shared, encouraging businesses to become active players in the management and recycling of the electronic waste they’re responsible for, which will also encourage their employees to do the same at home.”

To get involved in TechCollect’s Waste Not, Want Not Day on 13 December, businesses can follow these steps:

• Gather all their unwanted and unused e-waste in the workplace (TechCollect will take TVs as well as computers and IT accessories).
• Call 1300 229 837 to see if they qualify for a free pick-up (on the basis of quantity and location).
• If they don’t qualify for a free pick-up, they can find their nearest free drop-off point at http://techcollect.com.au/our-locations/.
• If they’re not close to a TechCollect service, they can search for other free services under the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme at http://recyclingnearyou.com.au.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Maksym Yemelyanov

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