The Victorian Government has declared a ban on e-waste effective from 1 July 2019.
Following this date, e-waste will not be accepted in landfill sites across the state but must instead be recycled.
A $16.5 million state-wide upgrade E-waste Infrastructure Support Program, announced by Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio MP last April, is being rolled out across the state.
Three of Baw Baw Shire Council’s transfer stations will soon be upgraded to accept and recycle e-waste with a $272,000 grant from Sustainability Victoria.
The funding will facilitate design, fabrication and construction of an e-waste processing and storage shed at each site.
E-waste includes any electrical equipment with a power cord or battery with parts that have been discarded as waste without the intention of re-use.
This includes everything from old mobile phones, computers, audio devices, refrigerators and other white goods, hair dryers, TVs, heaters, and air-conditioners.
Councillor Darren Wallace, said, “E-waste items contain both hazardous materials which can harm the environment and human health, and valuable materials such as gold, silver, copper, nickel and zinc which are well worth recovering.”
Councillor Peter Kostos, said, “The upgrades will increase community access to best practise e-waste disposal points and expand Council’s capacity and capability to safely collect and store the increasing volumes of e-waste.”
Baw Baw Shire Council was one of 76 Council’s to receive funding towards e-waste management infrastructure with 130 sites identified for upgrading.
