When buying a computer, television, phone or other device, most people think about price, ease of use and features. But do you ever take time to think about where your gadget will end up when it is old and obsolete?

At a time where it seems electronic devices rule our lives, never has it been more important to think about where they end up.

Through my work as Council’s representative on the Gippsland Regional Waste Management Group (GRWMG) I’ve learnt a lot more than I ever thought was possible about waste. It was with genuine excitement that I heard the news that the Product Stewardship Bill was passed by both houses of Parliament in Canberra recently.

Product stewardship is thinking about the end of a product’s life, before it is even made. For manufacturers this includes planning for and if necessary, paying for the recycling or disposal of a product at the end of its useful life. For retailers, or consumers like us, it means taking an active role in making sure we dispose of a product the right way.

This ‘e-waste’ has become one of the most significant environmental issues of our time. Recent reported figures estimate a massive 234 million computers, phones, TVs and other products are already in landfill.

The Product Stewardship Bill aims to reduce the amount of ‘e-waste’ going to landfill by setting up recycling programs and targets.

This will see hazardous waste from our televisions and computers treated properly, instead of being diverted to landfill.

Televisions and computers will be the first products covered under the legislation. The National Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme aims to increase the recycling rate for TVs and computers to 80 per cent by 2021.

According to the Federal Government, collection services will be progressively rolled out Australia-wide over the next five years.

This is a really positive first step in reducing the amount of products in landfill. I encourage all residents who are thinking of buying electronic equipment to think seriously about where it goes at the end of its life. Perhaps make it one of the questions you ask a retailer when asking about price and features – is it recyclable?

The more pressure consumers put on manufacturers to make their products recyclable, the better the result for our environment.

Cr Veronica Dowman, Mayor
Bass Coast Shire Council