As 2019 draws to a close, on behalf of the team at ANZRP, I would like to say a warm thank you to all of our members, partners and colleagues for your continuing support and inspiring work throughout the year.

While we look forward to a well-earned rest during the upcoming holiday season, celebrating and relaxing with family and friends, we can reflect on a year of continuing change, challenges and growth.

ANZRP successfully delivered its world class product stewardship program, ensuring members achieved all regulatory requirements.

We led the charge for responsible e-waste management, providing Australian and New Zealand communities with 276 free TechCollect drop off locations.

Looking back at our commitment towards responsible recycling, in just seven short years ANZRP has diverted more than 160,000 tonnes of electronic waste from landfill. I am proud to acknowledge this milestone, as this result has reduced CO2 emissions equivalent to the planting of 2.4 million trees, saving enough electricity to power 19,725 homes for a year, or reducing diesel particulate emissions equivalent to removing 270 million kilometres of old truck travel from Australian roads.

This wonderful outcome is attributed to the delivery of leading e-waste collection services (via TechCollect), to the investigation of emerging e-waste management technologies, enhancements to logistics operations and the endeavours of our operations team reaching out and working alongside countless communities in our capital cities, regional centres and our vast remote regions.

Indeed 2019 has been a noteworthy year for ANZRP. Working alongside community groups and recycling organisations, local government, and in partnership with government supporting product stewardship, ANZRP has sought to keep members central to the conversation.

We continued to amplify your voices in government, providing detailed advice to the Department of the Environment and Energy on ways to further improve the NTCRS. In particular, our most recent submission detailed stronger governance and assurance, and highlighted the need to expand its scope to include all electronic waste.

Other notable achievements for 2018/19 include:

  • ANZRP met its Recycling Target – of 22,029 tonnes from the recycling of end-of-life products
  • Reasonable Access was achieved, and 100% compliance through 276 TechCollect collection sites
  • Achieved a total material recovery rate of 93%
  • Welcomed a number of new regional and rural TechCollect sites. It is particularly pleasing to further expand our services into Tasmania and nurture strong relationships with Indigenous communities in northern Australia.
  • Continued to administer the needs of key members through the seamless delivery of tailored collection programs
  • Achieved yet another positive endorsement from our members through the annual survey. This year we achieved a Net Promoter Score of 8.4.
  • Launched the ANZRP Schools Recycling Program
  • Commenced planning on the construction of a mobile e-waste recycling plant for Victoria
  • Launched an e-waste collection and recycling pilot program in New Zealand with the generous support of our members

The past few months have been tough for some of our partnering communities who have been adversely affected by this particularly aggressive bushfire season. On behalf of our members, this year for Christmas we have donated $500 to the Red Cross Foundation’s Disaster Relief and Recovery. This will go towards supporting communities affected by bushfires across NSW, Queensland, and South Australia. Our thoughts are with these communities and the families who have been affected.

I am eternally grateful to our long-term and loyal members who have chosen to stand alongside us. We look forward – with great enthusiasm – to working with you again next year to continue leading and shaping the future of our region and its communities.

On behalf of our Chair, Board and dedicated staff, I wish you and your family a safe and enjoyable holiday season, a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Best wishes,

Warren Overton, CEO