E-waste – or electronic waste – is growing three times faster than the rate of standard municipal waste. It contains many potentially hazardous and valuable materials, which don‘t belong in landfill.
To help protect our environment and recover more precious resources, the Victorian Government is banning all e-waste from going to landfill as of 1 July 2019. That means, e-waste can’t go in any bin.
Many council transfer stations provide an e-waste recycling drop-off service.
Check our list of council waste and recycling services for links to recycling information for your local area.
Please note: fees may apply for some transfer station services.
Planet Ark's Recycling Near You helps you locate your nearest e-waste drop-off point.
Mobile Muster accepts old mobile phones, tablets, chargers and accessories — even smart watches — for recycling.
Household batteries can easily be recycled at no cost at participating Aldi and Batteryworld stores.
Fluorescent tubes and light bulbs can be disposed of for free at permanent drop-off sites located at most council-operated transfer stations.
The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme has designated collection points across Victoria. These are provided by four organisations including TechCollect, Electronics Product Stewardship Australasia, E-Cycle Solutions and Drop Zone.
Dropping items off is free but don't forget to properly wipe computers, phones and devices.
E-waste is any item with a
plug
battery
or power cord
that is no longer working or wanted. It covers a whole range of items from phones and refrigerators to fluorescent light tubes.
The way e-waste is recovered can vary between recovery partners, but it generally follows a similar pattern:
E-waste recovery is important and necessary. But even better is to try and avoid creating e-waste in the first place.
To protect our environment and recover more precious resources, the Victorian Government is banning all e-waste from landfill from 1 July 2019.
To support the rollout of the ban the Victorian Government is investing $16.5 million to upgrade e-waste collection and storage facilities across the state and deliver an education program to support the ban on e-waste in landfills.