Australia launches recycling initiative for e-waste

The Australian government has launched a recycling initiative for e-waste, which is a response to the anticipated increase of old televisions that are thrown out as the country moves to digital television.

Making the move to digital television is something  that is happening worldwide, with many countries in Europe making the move permanent recently. The Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform predicted that this move could lead to 150,000 tonnes of additional e-waste, creating a toxic waste headache for the government.

However, the new recycling scheme aims to reduce this waste by 30 per cent to start off with, which could rise to 80 per cent within ten years. The scheme requires manufacturers and importers of televisions and computers to play a role in funding and delivering the national recycling service, shifting responsibility and reducing costs for the government.

The recent switch to digital in England has caused several problems for residents, despite extensive advertising campaigns warning them to re-tune their televisions. Up to one million Londoners lost BBC2 after the Crystal Palace tower stopped broadcasting the channel in analogue, which has began shutdown after 75 years.

Posted by Joseph Hutton