E-waste materials can be dropped off for FREE at the Yeppoon Landfill or a Transfer Station. For more information on these drop-off points visit our Facilities page, which can be found by touching the "More Information" button on this app.
Used electronics contain valuable non-renewable resources like plastic and precious metals, including gold, silver, platinum, nickel, zinc, aluminium, and copper. Some of these, like lead, mercury, phosphorus, and cadmium, can harm the environment if sent to landfill. They can leak into groundwater, pollute the soil, and enter the food chain. When electronics are thrown away, the valuable materials used to make them are lost, which means new products need to be made by mining for these resources.
E-waste includes items like:
- TVs
- Computers
- Printers
- Stereos
- VCRs
- Projectors
- Gaming consoles
- Scanners
- Set-top boxes
Almost 99% of a computer can be recycled. The metal is 100% recyclable, glass is 99%, and plastic (except for tiny particles) is 100% recyclable. Older TVs with cathode ray tubes contain up to 4 kg of lead and other harmful materials that need to be responsibly recycled. Data security is also an important factor when recycling electronics. People are encouraged to delete personal data from devices before recycling
Over 90% of the materials in a mobile phone can be recycled, yet around 22 million unused phones are stored in homes across Australia. Recycling these phones could save the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as planting 114,000 trees and recover enough aluminum to make 1.8 million cans.
Did you know?
- Australia generates about 200,000 tonnes of e-waste every year, with almost 1 million discarded devices being added to landfills annually
- According to reports, only about 17% of e-waste in Australia is currently being recycled, leaving a significant portion to end up in landfills
- Proper recycling can also create jobs in the recycling industry, contributing to Australia's green economy
- There are at least 30 million mobile phone subscribers in Australia.
- Over 23 million unused phones are tucked away in drawers, cupboards, and garages across the country, about one for every person in Australia.
- This is equivalent to 2,450 tonnes of valuable materials like metals, minerals, plastic, and glass, which the planet needs us to recycle.
- The average person replaces their mobile phone every 18-24 months.
- Mobile phones should never be thrown away since they are not biodegradable and can contain harmful materials.
- Recycling 50,000 old phones can reduce the need to mine 110 tonnes of gold ore, 123 tonnes of silver ore, or 11 tonnes of copper ore.
- Over 90% of a phone’s materials can be recovered and repurposed for new products, like plastic fence posts or stainless-steel items.