by Shane Henson — April 3, 2013—In an effort to further reduce the amount of electronic waste (e-waste) produced within businesses and residences, Australia and New Zealand recently announced a standard they say will help to divert e-waste from landfills by providing a rigorous process for its collection, storage, and recycling.
The Joint Australian and New Zealand standard, AS/NZS 5377:2013 Collection, Storage, Transport and Treatment of End-of-Life Electrical and Electronic Equipment, will outline minimum requirements for the safe and environmentally sound handling of e-waste, says Colin Blair, CEO for Standards Australia, an independent, not-for-profit organization that is recognized by the Australian Government as the peak non-government standards body in Australia. In doing so, the standard sets out principles and minimum requirements for end-of-life electrical equipment in order to maximize re-use, reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, safeguard worker health, and minimize environmental harm.
Blair says the standard recognizes that there are laws in place regulating how to comply with occupational health and safety requirements and environmental performance, and that Australia and New Zealand are signatories to international agreements on environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes and pollutants.
“The standard enhances existing environmental protections and international obligations, while establishing the processes required to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill,” he explains.
The new standard will also complement the Australian Government’s National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme, under which recycling services for televisions and computers are being rolled out to communities across Australia. The standard provides environmentally effective guidelines for industry and will help ensure that, from July 1, 2014, at least 90 percent of all materials in e-waste collected under the Scheme are recovered for use in new products.
