Great Things Come in Small Packages
Great Things Come in Small Packages
Great progress has been made in the development of ANZRP’s first mobile e-waste factory whose purpose will be to service the needs of regional and rural Victoria.
Neatly fitting in a 40-foot shipping container, this facility will provide onsite e-waste processing capabilities leading to the stripping of materials and processing of plastics. Assisting ANZRP achieve even greater efficiencies of scale that can ultimately lead to reduced processing and handling costs, the facility will be operated through various sites in Victoria, providing local governments with close and reasonable access to much needed e-waste services.
A first of its type in Australia (if not the world), this ground-breaking approach will revolutionise the management and processing of e-waste providing large and small communities with affordable and dependable recycling and processing services. Additionally, ANZRP is speaking to high profile social enterprises in a bid to staff the service through with their personnel.
The project has achieved a number of critical milestones, including the finalisation of designs, the sourcing of equipment, obtaining liability and property insurance, and selecting a suitably qualified engineering firm to construct the facility.
Its launch has been somewhat affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and has been re-scheduled for September 2020.
New Zealand Pilot Program
New Zealand Pilot Program
In response to the COVID -19 pandemic, from midnight 25 March until further notice New Zealand took the unprecedented step of declaring a level 4 emergency and going into lockdown until April 22, where it will be reviewed and possibly extended.
Speaking to the people of New Zealand, Prime Minister Ardern said "We need as many businesses as possible to close now if our one shot at beating the virus is to be successful."
Ardern implored people to stay home and act like they have COVID -19. "Every move you make could be a risk to someone else."
As a result of these sweeping changes, TechCollect’s retail collection partner OfficeMax has closed its doors, and will no longer be offering e-waste collections.
ANZRP is closely monitoring this situation and will provide an update to members as the situation evolves.
At this stage, ANZRP has been in contact with OfficeMax, and the New Zealand Government. Information has gone out our social channels advising community of the closure and requesting people temporarily save their e-waste until further notice. Additionally, the New Zealand website has been updated to reflect this temporary suspension.
ANZRP Celebrates Net Positive Environmental Impact
ANZRP Celebrates Net Positive Environmental Impact
Working with members, collection partners and community, ANZRP delivers outcomes that are not only environmentally but socially beneficial. As a not for profit our focus is simple - to achieve a positive outcome with a net benefit to the environment and to community.
ANZRP is committed to monitoring, measuring and managing the environmental impact of its activities.
Every year, we engage Australian life-cycle assessment research firm – LifeCycles, to investigate the impact of our services. Lifecycles undertakes independent assessment of our program, evaluating environmental benefits across the supply chain relating to carbon emission savings, energy consumption savings, water use reduction and particulate matter emissions from diesel vehicles.
As a valued member, you would have recently received a report highlighting the net benefits your contribution has made to the environment over the past twelve months. At the same time, ANZRP made public its net positive environmental impact since commencing collections in 2012.
Over this period of time, more than160,000 tonnes of e-waste has been recycled by TechCollect. We are immensely proud of this result and would like to share with you its impact:
- From an energy usage perspective, we have saved more than 2.7 million Gigajoules of energy usage. This is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 19,725 Australian homes.
- From a carbon emissions perspective, we have prevented over 190,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere. This is equivalent to planting more than 2.8 million trees.
- From a water use perspective, we have saved more than 990,000 cubic metres of water. This is equivalent to the annual average Australian household water consumption of more than 4,800 homes.
- From a particulate matter emissions perspective, we have prevented at least 268,000 kilograms of particulate matter emissions from entering the atmosphere. This is equivalent to removing over 270 million kilometres of old diesel truck travel from Australian roads.
We have developed a slide pack we are happy to share with you and your stakeholders. You can access it here.
COVID-19 Update
As we all enter uncharted territory locally and globally, we wanted to provide you with an update on how we’re continuing our e-waste collection and recycling service operationally, with the health and safety of our workers and partners a priority in all our decisions.
At this stage, it is business as usual for TechCollect, with some small changes. We are continuing to provide the service as best we can, considering variabilities across our supply chain and noting that circumstances are changing daily.
Our >250 collection sites currently remain open and are accepting e-waste. Should any site close we will endeavor to update you as soon as possible – however if you are considering dropping any material off, we recommend you contact the site to check they are still open, as we may not know straight away. Please also practice extra levels of precaution – wipe your items with disinfectant before dropping off, and if possible avoid giving your e-waste to a member of staff, and rather ask if you can place it directly in the collection bin. This may not always be possible, so be respectful of workers assisting you.
Currently, all of our recycling partners are operating as normal with some small changes implemented, ensuring all preventative measures possible are in place to protect the welfare of their staff. We have been in touch with them on a regular basis to confirm this, and for now all sites are continuing to process e-waste.
Our logistics providers helping transport e-waste from A to B are also operating as normal, again with some small changes to ensure best practice for the welfare of their staff. Couriers and drivers are not requesting signatures on PODs, rather opting for a name, reference number or even photographic evidence of delivery. For anyone interacting with these providers we ask that you accept and work with this, and any future changes implemented, recognising they are there to protect everyone.
For our collection partners, we ask that you advise TechCollect of any changes in your situation, such as opening hours, delivery/collection restrictions and contingency plans if required to close sites. Conversely, we will of course continue to update you on changes to our service.
Our office staff are now all working remotely from home, and we have moved all non-essential meetings to Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Should you need to contact us our phone lines are still operational, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Working from home is a new thing for many of us, so we’re working to stay connected through regular video calls, and have made our new Employee Assistance Program available to staff via phone, should they need it. There have been loads of resources circulating in the past few days about staying mentally and physically healthy when working from home, and we’re helping our staff to do this in their own way. We’ve also made sure all staff have an appropriate ergonomic set-up.
As we adapt to working from home, meanwhile our regular local small business suppliers of services like catering are taking a hit. We’re thinking of ways to continue to support our local businesses as we recognise they will be doing it tough over the next few weeks, if not months.
The circular economy and the industry in which we operate has really progressed in recent years, and we are committed to continuing to drive recycling and circularity during challenging circumstances. How we adapt will be crucial to ensuring we keep moving forwards, we keep e-waste out of landfills and we continue to protect our environment.
A recipe for a successful national e-waste recycling program
As New Zealand considers the benefits of product stewardship and its impact on e-waste recycling, ANZRP CEO Warren Overton sets out the critical elements for a successful national e-waste recycling program based on the Australian experience.
Last month we launched our TechCollect pilot e-waste recycling program just across the ditch in New Zealand.
Operating through the OfficeMax retail network, TechCollect provides 16 drop-off points across New Zealand where people can take their unwanted e-waste for recycling completely free of charge.
Already we've had an astounding level of interest, with hundreds of visits to our new website and enquiries rolling in by the dozen. This is indicative of the New Zealand public's appetite for responsible and accessible e-waste recycling, a void that has to this point not been filled. Unlike its Australian and overseas counterparts, the country has struggled to better manage the increasing volume of e-waste generated annually - a recent report from the International Telecommunications Union shows kiwis are among the world's worst offenders, producing an estimated 20kg per person per year.
Product stewardship is key
Australia's approach to managing the growing issue of e-waste is founded on the notion of product stewardship. This concept acknowledges that those involved in producing, selling and using products have a shared responsibility to ensure that those products or materials are managed in a way that reduces their impact, throughout their life cycle, on the environment and on human health and safety.
A key pillar of Australia's National Waste Policy is the Product Stewardship Act 2011. Established under the Act, the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) was Australia’s first producer responsibility arrangement. Under the scheme, more than 1,800 collection services have been made available to the public and 230,000 tonnes of TV and computer e-waste collected and recycled. 130,000 tonnes of that has been managed by ANZRP's flagship program TechCollect.
In recent years, the New Zealand Government has twice investigated e-waste product stewardship and on both occasions was unable to establish a long term industry funded program.
Technology industry ready to participate
Despite New Zealand's lack of regulatory enforcement, major players in the electronics industry have just committed to funding our TechCollect pilot e-waste recycling program. Microsoft, Toshiba, HP, Epson, Dell and Canon have all pledged funds to the pilot, which has been a major driver in getting the program off the ground.
The quick commitment from these world-leading organisations shows their eagerness to uphold their corporate social responsibility status, and position themselves as leaders on this issue. They understand the importance of environmental and social sustainability to their brand and are ready with their cheque book to support initiatives that shine a light on their commitment.
Key elements of a successful e-waste recycling program
Fundamental to a thriving e-waste recycling program is a model where industry covers costs of collection and recycling. The ideal approach is through a liability-based fee in a competitive environment that encourages cost competition.
Other critical factors include:
Government funding — Sufficient government funding for e-waste product stewardship is required to ensure effective program management, audit and enforcement of requirements, and promotion of the program to the whole community. Underfunding allows liable parties to avoid compliance and diminishes community engagement with the program.
Competition — Competition is good for logistics and recycling yet is counterproductive for collection as it can create duplication and inefficiencies. Due to the small size of the New Zealand market, the number of organisations engaged to deliver an e-waste product stewardship program should be limited to reduce administrative costs.
Scope — To gain the benefits of scale, for both logistics and processing, as wide a scope as possible is recommended for an e-waste product stewardship program. Under Australia’s NTCRS, only televisions, computers, printers and computer peripherals are accepted. Even though this created a pool of easily identifiable parties, making it easier to manage, inclusion of all waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) would increase the amount of liable parties and exponentially increase the volume targets, guaranteeing greater economies of scale.
Collection network — Vital to its success, a collection network must include a broad spectrum of partners, including local councils, retail providers (such as electrical goods retailers) and private recycling owner-operated sites and community facilities. Aside from maintaining the reach of the service, they also serve an important role helping educate the public through their regular interactions.
Education — It’s important for people to understand the process of recycling e-waste and where they can responsibly dispose of it, knowing that it will be managed to the highest standards in accordance with the regulatory and legislative requirements. To achieve this, a simple and consistent approach is necessary — only government can fill this requirement. After seven years, the Australian public still does not have a strong understanding of e-waste and what can be done. Government needs to take the lead and project clear and consistent messaging.
Recycling partners – Competition is good and should not be limited to a few. Strict standards need to be enforced, ensuring downstream vendor due diligence and material traceability is achieved. All recyclers who serve the program are required to meet certain standards such as compliance to AS/NZS 5377:2013 and HSE legislation, and are regularly audited to ensure reporting volumes are correct.
Now entering its seventh year and despite some issues that need to be ironed out, Australia's NTCRS has been acknowledged as a resounding success. Product stewardship underpinned by accessibility, collaboration, transparency and trust — these are the critical elements that form a successful e-waste recycling program.
ANZRP would welcome the New Zealand Government’s participation into our pilot program, and the prospect of matching program funding to help lengthen and facilitate its ongoing success.
To find out more about our TechCollect pilot in New Zealand go to www.techcollect.nz.
ANZRP meets all FY 16/17 Regulatory targets
ANZRP’s FY 16/17 Annual Report is now published on both the Federal Government and our websites. You can view it here.
We are proud to announce that we have met both Regulatory targets of the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) – Recycling and Reasonable Access - and continue to maintain quality standards in a high cost-pressure environment. We also recovered over 95% of the commodities in the e-waste we collected, which is above the Scheme’s Material Recovery Target of 90%.
ANZRP is committed to making an active contribution to the enhancement and progression of product stewardship in Australia; and supporting our Members, not only with their obligations under the NTCRS, but representing them in broader product stewardship and thought leadership activities.
Education is key to driving change, which is why we invest significantly in broad-scale marketing to create community awareness and understanding of the importance of e-waste recycling and to re-evaluate the "take, make and dispose” extractive industrial model.
If you have any questions about the Annual Report, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
5 ways recycling e-waste can benefit your business
An essential part of running a business is to keep up to date with technology, which requires periodically updating your electronic devices. However, the old devices that have been replaced pose a problem for many small businesses — what do you do with the old tech when you replace it?
While throwing old cables and computers out with your general office waste may seem like the easy answer, the better business decision is to responsibly recycle your old or unused electronics.
Recent research commissioned by TechCollect revealed that 83% of Australians weren’t sure where they could recycle e-waste. And 58% said they didn’t want to pay to have devices properly recycled. You’re not alone when it comes to the issue of e-waste in your office; many businesses just aren’t aware of the real benefits of recycling e-waste, or how to start. It’s much easier than you think — here’s what you need to know:
1. Make a positive difference to the environment
The most obvious, yet greatest benefit of recycling e-waste is the positive impact it has on our environment. Many electronic devices contain heavy metals like lead and mercury, which can be extremely harmful to both land and water. Recycling these devices ensures materials don’t end up in landfill, and are instead correctly and safely recovered and recycled.
Electronic devices also contain non-renewable resources, which, if recycled correctly, can be recovered and re-used in the manufacturing of new products. Keeping resources in use is the best outcome and leads to a circular economy.
Recycling is often viewed as a civic duty; however, it is just as important for businesses to consider their environmental impact as part of their daily practice. This is not only beneficial to the environment, but is often expected by consumers, clients and employees.
2. Happy employees
Did you know more than three-quarters of Australian employees want business owners to take more action when it comes to recycling workplace technology?1
With environmental concerns increasing among Australians, employees are beginning to expect recycling e-waste to be common practice in the workplace. In fact, an increasing number of prospective employees are looking to work for businesses that operate under ethical policies and actively make business decisions in which positive environmental outcomes are a priority.
Beyond recruitment, sustainable workplace policies help retain current employees — keeping them happier, productive and more engaged.
3. Improve your brand reputation
Showing your commitment to the environment can strengthen your reputation with current and prospective customers. Recent research shows businesses and brands with a demonstrated commitment to sustainability outperform those who don’t2.
It’s becoming increasingly common to select your business partners based on their ethical standing as organisations. Businesses which actively strive to have a positive impact on the environment make more desirable business partners and a compelling choice for customers. Implementing e-waste recycling is a simple way to enhance your business’s green credentials.
4. Declutter the office
Old and unused electronic devices are often sitting at the back of cupboards gathering dust, or you may even have shelves or the corner of an office dedicated to old technology storage. Not only will recycling your old e-waste benefit the environment — by reducing landfill and the need to mine new resources — but you’ll also have a clean, decluttered office, which ultimately improves efficiency and harmony in the office!
5. Lower business costs
Recycling also has a significant and tangible impact on your bottom line. Did you know that recycling is less expensive than waste removal fees, which are measured by weight?
It is important to choose both a cost-effective and reputable recycling program for your business. Some organisations, including TechCollect, which is dedicated to setting the highest standard of Australian recycling, will collect and recycle your business’s e-waste for free.
What about your data?
Our recent research revealed 52% of Australians are not recycling their IT e-waste due to concerns about security of data.
In fact, personal data was highlighted as a key concern twice, with 64% of respondents also stating they don’t recycle their e-waste because they worry their data will get into the wrong hands. This number has increased by 25% in just two years.
In this technological age, it’s understandable to be concerned about data security and privacy. However, it is relatively simple to permanently remove your data from your company’s electronic devices before they are safely recycled. All you need to do is search online for data wiping services or software, or check with the product manufacturer on how to delete your data. There are also secure commercial services that specialise in data deletion. Be proactive in your data management and don’t let it be a barrier to doing the right thing by the environment!
How do I start?
Below is a simple, step-by-step process to recycle IT e-waste in your office:
- Get the whole team involved.
- Gather all your unwanted and unused IT e-waste from around the workplace.
- Remove your data: search online for data deletion services or software or check with the manufacturer of your product to discover how to delete your data.
- If you have a significant amount of e-waste, call TechCollect on 1300 229 837 to see if your small business qualifies for a free pick-up. TechCollect will take IT and TVs; check out http://techcollect.com.au/what-we-take.
- Or, find your nearest free drop-off point at http://techcollect.com.au/our-locations/. If you can’t find a TechCollect service near you, check out http://recyclingnearyou.com.au.
- Drop off your e-waste, and enjoy your new decluttered office and shining business reputation!
References
1Planet Ark, 2016. National Recycling Week. So You Think You Can Recycle Report, http://recyclingweek.planetark.org/documents/doc-1451-nrw-2016-report-so-you-think-you-can-recycle.pdf
2http://businessrecycling.com.au/research/business-case-competetive-edge.cfm
By Warren Overton, CEO, Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform
Originally published on Tuesday, 27 February, 2018 by Sustainability Matters
Waste Not Want Not Day: Save the Date! Thursday 8 December
Does your office have a lot of unused and unwanted IT?
For the second year running, ANZRP’s TechCollect program is calling on Australian businesses to mark a date in their calendar and play a part in building a sustainable future by recycling their unwanted e-waste on 8 December.
Follow these three easy steps to get involved on the day:
1. Gather all your unwanted electronics
2. Call 1300 229 837 to see if you qualify for a free pickup
3. Otherwise, find your nearest free drop-off point at http://techcollect.com.au/our-locations/
As a reminder, we collect:
• All computers and tablets
• All computer peripherals and accessories
• All printers, faxes, scanners and multifunctional devices
• All televisions
To get the word out and inform all your colleagues, download a Save the Date poster for your workplace!
TechCollect Kicks Off Young E-waste Hero Competition for Primary and Secondary Students
ANZRP’s free e-waste collection service TechCollect has launched its Young e-Waste Hero competition calling for primary and secondary school students to get involved in the e-waste recycling conversation.
Students are encouraged to tell TechCollect, in their words, the best reason people should recycle unwanted electronics.
To enter, students can go to the TechCollect Facebook page and comment on the competition post, explaining their reason in 25 words or less. Images are encouraged, but not critical. Terms and conditions apply.
Primary student entries will be judged separately from secondary students and winners are eligible for a JB Hi-Fi gift card valued up to $1,000.
Check out the competition and encourage your friends and family to get involved!
The e-waste knowledge gap: a growing epidemic
10th February 2016, Melbourne: New research commissioned by e-waste collection and recycling service TechCollect reveals that while the majority (95.7 per cent) of Australians agree that recycling electronic waste (e-waste) is important, almost half (45 per cent) do not currently recycle, with many citing lack of awareness of their options or concerns over data security as key reasons.
The research also found that the majority (80.7 per cent) of respondents admitted that they place more importance on household recycling like cardboard, glass and plastic than they do on recycling their e-waste.
When asked what the biggest barriers to recycling were, the top responses were ‘I’m not sure where to start’ (46.1 per cent) and ‘I’m worried about my personal data getting into the wrong hands’ (38.7 per cent). Other responses also showed that many didn’t know where drop off points were, or even that they could recycle their old technology in the first place.
Nearly half of respondents (43 per cent) also admitted to putting their e-waste on the nature strip for council collection. Carmel Dollisson, CEO of TechCollect, said this can be hazardous to the environment – with individuals often being completely unaware of the potential damage – as well as providing no guarantee of responsible recycling that would recover the raw commodities for use in new products.
“Often people will try and do the right thing, without realising that kerbside collections don’t always provide a guarantee that the product won’t end up in landfill.
“By recycling televisions and computers through a program like TechCollect we ensure that non-renewable resources are safely recovered, so that they can be used again in future manufacturing, as well as ensuring that product containing materials which can be dangerous to both people and the environment if put in landfill, are instead correctly recovered or disposed of.”
Key findings from the survey:
• 91.8 per cent of respondents believe there should be better retail incentives in place to make it easier for them to recycle their e-waste
• Only 11.5 per cent strongly agree that recycling e-waste is a top priority for their household
• 70.6 per cent didn’t know that they could recycle their power cords
• Just more than half (50.3 per cent) of respondents have more than three unused devices at home, and 36.7 per cent have more than five unused electric cords/cables that are collecting dust
• 24 per cent are holding onto their old technology out of fear that they might need it one day, and 38.6 per cent just don’t know what to do with it
“Information and awareness are key to the success of the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme which TechCollect operates under. An important priority for the Scheme is to educate the public to understand the important role we all play in responsible e-waste recycling. In the digital age where technology consumption is at an all-time high, this has never been more prevalent,” said Dollisson.
While data security is an important concern, it is relatively simple to address before disposing of your e-waste. It’s important to remember to always permanently erase personal data from any computer, tablet, or laptop you plan to recycle. For more information on how to do this contact the manufacturer of your device or search online for data wiping services.
To find out more information about TechCollect or to find a designated drop-off site closest to you, visit: http://www.techcollect.com.au/