The truth is that while we’re recycling more than we used to (double the amount of 15 years ago), we're also buying more stuff, so the amount of waste we send to landfill has remained the same. With over 90 percent of old electronic e-waste now ending up in landfill we are fuelling a toxic legacy for future generations. So while we love our gizmos and gadgets, it’s important that we dispose of them correctly.
With the introduction of a proper e‐waste recycling program now in force, we’ll be saving close to 560 million items from Australian landfills by 2020. Under this scheme, manufacturers would take responsibility for collecting and recycling their products once the consumer is finished with them. It’s self-funding, makes recycling easy and is totally brilliant.
So why don’t you dust off that old TV hidden away in the garage or shabby computer lying on the study floor and keep it handy for when the recycling scheme comes into place. You’ll be able to return it to the place you bought it from, drop it at a designated spot or give it to your local council’s collection service.
Even if you don’t have a gizmo to get rid of, you might be thinking about buying a flashy new plasma now that digital TV is on it’s way. We’re big fans of turning old stuff into new, but if you simply can’t find another way to go digital, a good rule of thumb is the smaller the better. All new TVs are more energy efficient, but buying a TV that’s four times the size of your old one, means you lose that benefit. (Of course, if you choose to convert your old TV instead, the environment will love you for it).