In Australia we buy a whopping four million computers and close to 90 per cent of them end up in landfill. As well as putting more pressure on limited landfill capacity, electronic waste, or e-waste, can be hazardous because it contains toxic nasties that can leach into the groundwater and soil.
The good news is that most e-waste is recyclable. To make it easier for you to do the right thing, the City offers free quarterly drop-off days for residents. Since November 2008, we’ve recycled more than 176 tonnes of e-waste, dropped off by over 5,060 residents. If all the old TVs and computers recycled by Sydneysiders since 2008 were laid out side by side, they could make a line all the way from Sydney Town Hall to Newtown.
If your electrical equipment is still working, we encourage you to give it away to people who might need it first. OzRecycle or Gumtree can help. These online recycling communities help the environment and reduce landfill by making it easier for people to give away things they no longer need.
For more information on our waste and recycling services, visit zerowaste.org.au
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