Television and computer recycling

The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme provides Australian householders and small business with access to free recycling services for:

• televisions
• computers
• printers
• computer products (such as keyboards, mice and hard drives).

Current drop-off locations for Victoria are provided in the table below. More locations and drop-off options (such as take-back events or mail-back) will be added as the scheme expands.

Victorian drop-off points - now open

What should be done with my television and computer waste before services are in my area?

If you are unable to take items to the collection centres listed above, there are a number of options (other than landfill) for disposing of end-of-life televisions and computers, including:

• participating in council run services until the national scheme is fully rolled out
• contacting your local council for more information on disposal options in your area
• asking second-hand shops or a charity if they will take them (if they're still in working order)
• passing them on to friends or family
• storing items covered by the scheme (i.e. televisions and computer products) out of the weather until services under the scheme are available in your area
• checking with the manufacturer to see if they offer a recycling program (you may want to check the brand name of your equipment and then visit the manufacturer's website).
• searching for electronic waste recycling options in your area through the Planet Ark website (see link at bottom of page) for services local to you. You can also call Planet Ark on 1300 733 712.

About The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme

The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme will provide Australian householders and small business with access to free recycling services for televisions and computers, printers and computer products (such as keyboards, mice and hard drives) regardless of their brand and no matter how old they are.

Householders and small business will not be charged to drop off products for recycling at a designated recycling service, which may include a permanent drop-off point, a take-back event or a mail-back option.

The Scheme will boost the recycling rate for television and computer products in Australia from an estimated 17% in 2010 to 30% in 2012-13 and to 80% by 2021-2. This is important as these products make up an increasing part of the waste stream, contain valuable materials that can be re-used and contain hazardous materials which need to be managed in a safe manner.

The Scheme is funded and run by industry and regulated by the Australian Government under the Product Stewardship Act 2011 and the Product Stewardship (Televisions and Computers) Regulations 2011.

Approved co-regulatory arrangements

Three companies are able to deliver services under the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme.

Communication toolkit now available

The communications material contained within the toolkit has been designed for councils to reproduce and distribute to their local residents and digital copy will be distributed to all councils in the coming weeks.

• Communications toolkit (opens new website)
• Communications video (opens new website)
  

The Byteback™ program

The free computer recycling service, Byteback™ finished operating on 31 July 2012 as the national scheme opened.

The Byteback™ program collected and processed in excess of 3,750 tonnes of computer waste, assisting in the development of the National TV and Computer Recycling Scheme.

Byteback™ was an initiative of Sustainability Victoria and the Australian Information Industry Association in association with founding partners Hewlett Packard, Apple, Canon, Dell, Epson, Fujitsu, Fuji-Xerox, IBM, Lenovo, and Lexmark. Other partners in the program included Brother and retail store Officeworks.

Top | Last updated 17/04/2013