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Canberra Today 14°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Free e-waste collection days

FREE e-waste collection days will be held over the weekend of May 25 and 26, with drop-off sites in Ainslie and Deakin.

Shane Rattenbury
Shane Rattenbury.
Non-profit recycling service TechCollect will take unwanted televisions, computers and computer products between 9am and 4pm at Majura Oval car park on Angas Street in Ainslie, and at the car park in Makin Place, Deakin.

E-waste contains hazardous materials like heavy metals and should not be dumped in landfill, especially as the amount of electronic items being thrown away grows every year, faster than almost any other type of rubbish.

Minister for Territory and Municipal Services Shane Rattenbury says he expects more e-waste collection sites across the ACT to be in place in coming months.

“These may take a variety of forms such as weekend collection events or drop off sites at retail stores, similar to measures in other parts of Australia,” according to the Minister.

Mr Rattenbury says that 3,076  tonnes of e-waste has been recovered in the ACT since the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme was implemented locally in 2012 – about 8.6 tonnes per day – compared to only 795 tonnes in the previous financial year.

“There has also been a significant drop in illegal dumping of televisions and computers since the scheme commenced,” he says.

“The scheme is important as e-waste products make up an increasing part of the overall waste stream, contain valuable materials that can be re-used and contain hazardous materials which need to be managed in a safe manner.”

The free, ongoing recycling service for Canberra and the surrounding region to dispose of televisions, computers and computer products such as printers, keyboards, mice and hard drives operates out of the Mitchell and Mugga Lane Transfer Stations.

The scheme does not cover other electronic waste such as mobile phones, which are covered by the voluntary scheme MobileMuster, or DVD players and video recorders.

 Further details about the free e-waste recycling in the ACT is available at tams.act.gov.au

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