In the last 10 years, the rate of e-waste generated each year by Australians has more than doubled. We all have a part to play in taking responsibility for the waste we produce.
We are seeking your input
We are working with state and territory governments to identify solutions for the better environmental management of Australia’s electrical and electronic equipment. Over late September and October 2021, we are holding a series of online workshops.
Register your interest to be part of important conversations that contribute to identifying the key actions that need to occur to achieve strong environmental, social and economic outcomes.
We want to hear your views if you are a:
- designer
- manufacturer
- retailer
- researcher
- recycler
- regulator
- non-government organisation
The types of e-waste currently under consideration (but not limited to) are:
- large appliances
- televisions and computers
- heating, cooling and refrigeration
- solar PV and batteries
- power tools
- lighting
- large electrical equipment
- small electrical equipment
- other
E-waste in Australia
The Australian government is putting the right tools in place to manage our e-waste. That’s why a new taskforce has been established to identify innovative solutions to create strong environmental, social and economic outcomes.
Improving Australia’s management of e-waste needs to include the entire life cycle of electrical and electronic goods, from their design, manufacture, import, sale and consumption – not just when the product is disposed of.
We call this ‘e-stewardship’ – it means a shared responsibility between designers, manufacturers, importers, retailers, consumers, recyclers and government for the end-of-life of e-products.
For further information please email WRIT@environment.gov.au and register your interest to participate.
E-Product Stewardship in Australia Report
The department commissioned Iceni and Lifecycles to undertake modelling to develop the quantitative foundation to inform future policy development actions.
Executive Report (PDF - 2.18 MB)
Executive Report (DOCX - 4.7 MB)
Evidence Report (PDF - 6.91 MB)
Evidence Report (DOCX - 6.31 MB)
E-Stewardship Model (XLSX - 12.7 MB)
Lifecycles updated an earlier model with the latest data to provide up-to-date evaluations of the amounts of different e-products placed on the market and e-wastes generated annually in Australia now and into the future.
Lifecycles also extended the model with detailed breakdowns of the materials in different product categories to estimate the value of materials: both in terms of dollars and embodied greenhouse gas emissions.
The original model was developed for a Sustainability Victoria investigation of e-waste flows and market in Victoria in 2015. It was later updated and used to support a cost-benefit analysis of Victoria’s ban on e-waste to landfill and the last two versions of the national waste report and Australian Bureau of Statistics waste account.