eWaste Recycling
From 1 September 2013 electrical waste including audio/video equipment, small household appliances, mobile phones, tools, toys, leisure equipment, home/office communications devices etc were banned from direct disposal to landfill.
It is estimated that approximately 3,100 tonnes/year of e-waste (not including televisions and computers) is produced across South Australia. This equates to approximately 2kg per person per year.
The correct recycling of electronic wastes is important as they often contain substances which are hazardous to humans and the environment when handled or disposed of inappropriately including:
- Antimony
- Chromium
- Arsenic
- Lead
- Beryllium
- Mercury
- Brominated Flame Retardants
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Cadmium
Significantly, they also contain many rare and non-renewable resources and hence the disposal of e-waste to landfill results in increased extraction pressure being placed on the existing reserves.
The EPA website provides information for householders regarding their local electronics waste recycling options, including answers to frequently asked questions.
The City of Salisbury continues to receive e-waste at the NAWMA Pooraka Resource Recovery Centre although customers will be required to separate this from general waste brought to the facility.
Free Mobile Phone and Battery Recycling
NAWMA's Pooraka Resource Recovery Centre provides a collection point for old mobile phones to be recycled. Every collected mobile is recycled for resource recovery, nothing resold and any data left on the devices is destroyed in the recycling process.