Plugging Australia’s E-waste Gap

The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) was established in 2011 and kicked off with much fanfare when the scheme’s first drop off sites were launched in Canberra. These sites provided the community with access to free recycling services for unwanted televisions and computer equipment. It came right at the time when the analogue signal in Australia was being switched off thus the public usage of drop off sites was swift and overwhelming. Old-style cathode ray tube televisions were disposed of in large numbers as each new drop off site opened its doors. The scheme grew rapidly over the intervening 18 months as hundreds of more sites and services came online in all States and Territories. By mid-2013, ninety-eight percent (98%) of Australians were considered to have had reasonable access to an NTCRS drop off site.

In view of this it was interesting to read in the recently released report titled “Plugging Australia’s E-waste Gap: Lifting the lid on Australia’s e-waste crisis”, produced by Sircel Limited (October 2024), that only about half of Australia’s population know what e-waste is.

“There’s an almost even split between Australians who know what e-waste is (52%) and those who don’t (48%)”

This is a clear indicator that we still have much work to do to educate the public on what e-waste is, and equally importantly, what they should do with it. The report, and its findings, also highlight, that despite the great progress made since 2011, there are still some significant blind spots with regards to e-waste management and opportunities in Australia.

What gives rise to the blind spot and what are some implications

The blind spot is evident both within the general public but also in the business community – which is a big consumer of information technology equipment. One of the many illuminating findings from the Sircel study is that

“the corporate world is where the e-waste gap is most evident, with 84% of Australian’s sharing that their companies either have no e-waste policy or aren’t sure if they do”

In fact, of the top 200 Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listed companies only 15% of those that mentioned recycling included e-waste in their definition of recycling. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, this blind spot is evident even in the boardrooms of our largest corporations given the study found that less than one in five (19%) of the ASX 200 listed companies even mention e-waste in their most recent sustainability reports. Sircel follows on to conclude that coupled with this there is a “a lack-of transparency from organisations on their e-waste” which “adds fuel to the fire … as many businesses don’t know where their e-waste goes for disposal”. This flows through other areas of concern, being that:

• The improper disposal of e-waste can lead to data breaches due to consumers or e-waste partners not taking that extra step in erasing the data from their devices prior to recycling; and
• In the absence of a clear line of sight, where companies are not overseeing the process from start to end, there is the prospect that e-waste is not being recycled in line with minimum standards or optimal outcomes (which in turn can lead to reputational damage for those corporates).

This all serves to highlight that companies should establish appropriate systems as well as demand transparent reporting from their e-waste partners to ensure they can walk the talk, manage their risk and capitalise on their opportunities to contribute to the circular economy.

How addressing the blind spot and tackling e-waste can deliver circular economy outcomes

Whilst more and more corporates are looking at ways their business models can be more sustainable and contribute to the circular economy, many are missing the opportunity that could arise from improving their e-waste management. Sircel’s research highlights this, finding that almost nine in ten businesses could be doing more, including developing strategies that look at repurposing, reusing and recycling their unwanted technology in the most sustainable way – not just the cheapest.

“only 12% actually discuss the relationship between e-waste disposal and enriching the circular economy. There’s room for corporates to make a stronger commitment to drive positive change on a local and global scale through recycling e-waste and repurposing the valuable materials back into the Australian economy”

In the context of diminishing mineable resources and increasing commodity prices, doing more to recapture our precious metals, which are widely used in technology products, and keeping them re-circulating in new products is a crucial step.

Company opportunities to build the circular economy also extend beyond this and are also being missed or passed over by many businesses. Only a very small number of businesses surveyed had identified the relationship between e-waste and reporting on their scope 3 emissions. While most ASX companies are committed to addressing sustainability and tackling scope 3 emissions, there’s little to no mention of e-waste in these areas, highlighting a clear gap that could be bridged. The opportunity is there for Australian corporates to establish clear e-waste recycling strategies that align with their broader sustainability goals.

How can Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform assist?

Australia New Zealand Recycling Platform (ANZRP) is a government approved co-regulatory arrangement under the NTCRS. We are the market leader for the safe and responsible collection of e-waste and we work closely with leading recyclers such as Sircel to drive the best attainable recycling outcomes. We have a strong focus on customer service, and we assist our members and businesses to recycle their e-waste to the highest standards and capture information on the environmental and social benefits from their actions. ANZRP can assist businesses and organisations that are looking to build on their corporate social responsibility programs and capitalise on circular economy opportunities by connecting them with organisations such as PonyUp for Good. Organisations such as these can not only help implement initiatives that provide visibility on the e-waste management process, but they also capture accurate information that enables business to build their brand and deliver triple bottom line outcomes.

For more information:

For a copy of the “Plugging Australia’s E-waste Gap: Lifting the lid on Australia’s e-waste crisis” and more information on Sircel Limited visit:

https://sircel.com/plugging-australias-e-waste-gap