Council working towards safe e-waste disposal
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East Gippsland Shire Council has started planning works for infrastructure improvements in preparation for the state-wide ban on e-waste entering landfill, which comes into effect on July 1, 2019.
Currently, residents can currently drop off televisions and computers plus their peripherals at selected transfer stations across the shire (Bairnsdale free).
With Victorian Government funding assistance, Council will build/upgrade important e-waste collection infrastructure at the Bairnsdale landfill and Omeo, Bruthen, Orbost and Mallacoota transfer stations. The works at all sites have been funded by Sustainability Victoria (with a $20,000 contribution from Council for the Bairnsdale site). Lakes Entrance transfer station will be upgraded in 2020.
Works are expected to be completed by June 30 next year and once finished all residents will be able to drop off their e-waste items that are no longer wanted or needed. These upgrade works will allow residents to dispose of all their e-waste at one site.
Mayor Cr Natalie O’Connell said Council is extremely pleased to be providing this service to the community.
“E-waste contains valuable resources that we can reuse as well as some nasty materials that are bad for the environment,” Cr O’Connell said.
“With the development of this important infrastructure we are making sure e-waste will go to a place where it can be properly recycled.”
The work being undertaken by Council is part of a state-wide effort to improve Victoria’s e-waste collection network.
The $15 million commitment from the Victorian Government will go towards upgrading close to 130 e-waste collection and storage sites across 76 councils.
The upgrades will ensure 98 per cent of Victorians in metropolitan areas will be within a 20-minute drive of an e-waste disposal point, and 98 per cent of Victorians in regional areas will be within a 30-minute drive of an e-waste disposal point.
E-waste can be described as anything with a plug or battery that has reached the end of its useful life. It includes everything from old mobile phones, computers and related equipment, audio devices, refrigerators and other white goods, hair driers, TVs, heaters, and air-conditioners.
The amount of e-waste generated in Victoria is projected to increase from 109,000 tonnes in 2015 to approximately 256,000 tonnes in 2035.
“Council is proud to be working with Sustainability Victoria and the Victorian Government to demonstrate national leadership on the collection of e-waste, one of the fastest growing waste streams in Australia,” Cr O’Connell said.