'Shared responsibility' critical to Australian e-waste recycling

A report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), commissioned by the Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform (ANZRP), has revealed that Australia has a long way still to go in developing a long-term, sustainable e-waste recycling system, such as those held by other developed markets.

E-waste growth is increasing every year; by 2017, the global amount of e-waste produced is predicted to reach 65.4 million tonnes. As e-waste programs evolve alongside the technological revolution, several countries are considering ways to encourage greater participation from consumers, while some producers and manufacturers are increasingly developing innovative strategies for product design, waste reduction, recycling and re-use.

But the EIU report shows that despite the large strides made by Australia over the past decade, we are still in our infancy of e-waste recycling compared to the developed markets of Japan, Finland and Germany. Based on its analysis of the other countries’ programs, EIU recommends Australia considers three steps to move its e-waste system forward:

• Greater focus on consumer electronics and smaller devices.
• More expansive coverage.
• Shared responsibility: greater collaboration between all stakeholders, including government, industry and consumers.

“For Australia to increase the level of systemic e-waste recycling, there needs to be a greater focus on ‘shared responsibility’, as not only producers but governments, retailers, business and consumers play a critical role in the e-waste debate,” said EIU Senior Economist John Ferguson, the author of the report.

ANZRP CEO Carmel Dollisson emphasised the responsibility that needs to be taken by local and state governments, “who need to develop immediate action plans to take control of e-waste in their system”.

“We all play a critical role: for example, local governments can work towards driving policies that incentivise the recycling behaviour among households; the retailer sector can act as a collection point in the e-waste system; and regulators can help to drive these initiatives to ensure that responsibility is taken in every link of the chain,” said Dollisson.

“It’s critical that we promote awareness around ‘responsible consumerism’, and entice and encourage consumers and businesses to become more active players in the management and recycling of their electronic waste - a concerted joint effort is required to get the message out about the benefits of recycling for the economy and environment.”

Dollisson believes an environment in which responsibilities are more evenly shared, incentives are clearly established and roles are more carefully defined offers Australia the best hope for a more effective and adaptable system for the future. The key to a successful e-waste policy, she said, is “the willingness of all stakeholders to contribute to it”.

Originally published here.