Did You Know - E-waste

Are you replacing electronic gadgets that cannot be fixed?  Has your toaster stopped working or is it time to upgrade the computer?

The Victorian Government has banned all e-waste from going to landfill since 1 July 2019, which means that these items cannot go into any of your kerbside bins.

While e-waste is a global issue, it is also a local problem.  Australians are amongst the highest users and disposers of technology - with e-waste increasing at a rate that is three times faster than other waste.  Is it not unusual for homes to have a number of old mobile phones stashed away - usually because they seem too good to throw away.

Household batteries should also not be disposed of in the general waste bin.  For more information about batteries, please see our Did You Know - Lithium Ion Batteries article from 22 December 2025.  Household batteries can also be dropped off at a variety of locations such as supermarkets that now have battery recycling station and other council offices.

While keeping e-waste out of landfill is important, there are two other reasons for being pro-active about recycling out e-waste: 

• It prevents hazardous materials from harming the environment or human health.  Hazardous materials can include lead, mercury, ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and flame retardants.  These materials, even in small quantities, can cause harm to the environment as they leach into soil and waterways if not disposed of appropriately.
• E-waste contains valuable materials that can be reused.  A good example is the ubiquitous mobile phone.  With more than a million mobile phones discarded in Australia every year, we could recover up to 16 tonnes of copper, 350 kilograms of silver and 34 kilograms of gold. 

We can deal with electoral and electronic goods better. Some tips are: 

• Smarter purchasing - try to avoid goods that have built in obsolescence or a short term life.
• Repairability - look to purchase goods that can be repaired without voiding warranties.
• Look after the goods we have - keep them clean, well maintained and serviced.
• Use goods as they are meant to be used - don't overfill refrigerators and read installation instructions to ensure efficient use. 

Council provides e-waste bins at the Hopetoun, Warracknabeal and Murtoa transfer stations, and e-waste can also be collected at the Little Yellow Wagon.  Small e-waste items - phones, cords, laptops etc. can be dropped into the Council Municipal Office in Warracknabeal.  

Council offers the collection of e-waste as a free service to its residents. 

This financial year (1 July 2025 to 11 June 2026) Council has collected 19,150 kilograms of e-waste and taken it to Axis Worx in Horsham for processing.  Axis Worx has processed approximately 300 tonnes of e-waste this year with approximately only 9% of this ending up in landfill.

Image: example of incorrect kerbside bin use containing e-waste.