Take your e-waste to a better place

Published on 21 May 2019

Residents are being urged to dispose of their electronic waste (e-waste) safely and responsibly as a new state ban comes into force.

From 1 July, e-waste will not be accepted in any bins or landfills across Victoria. Instead, it must be taken to dedicated drop-off points where it will be recycled safely.

E-waste is any item with a plug, battery or cord that is no longer working or wanted and covers a whole range of items, from old phones, computers and household appliances to power tools and toys. Council accepts all e-waste free of charge at its transfer stations at Kyneton, Woodend and Romsey.

Council’s Director Assets and Operations, Phil Stone said e-waste was the fastest-growing category of waste worldwide.

“In Australia, e-waste is growing up to three times faster than general household waste,” Mr Stone said.

“Most e-waste contains hazardous materials and dangerous chemicals that, when dumped in landfill or stored inappropriately, can leach into groundwater and soil, or release into the air.

“This can cause long-term environmental damage and harm to human health, which can be avoided if you recycle your e-waste correctly and help avoid environmental contamination.”

Recycling e-waste also allows useful resources and precious metals including gold and copper to be recovered from the discarded items and turned into new products.

As well as taking items to transfer stations, residents can dispose of old mobile phones at Council customer service centres and libraries, where they will be recycled through the MobileMuster program. Batteries can also be dropped off at Council customer service centres for proper disposal.

For more information on disposal of e-waste, call Council on (03) 5422 0333 or email [email protected]

For details on transfer station locations, hours and accepted items, see Transfer Stations

For more detailed information about e-waste, the e-waste landfill ban and recycling options, visit Sustainability Victoria's e-waste website