New electronic waste contractor engaged at the tip

A new electronic waste contractor has been engaged at Woy Woy in an attempt to recycle more of the component parts as well as to produce an income stream for the council.

"More of the items' parts are also being recycled including circuit boards, plastic and metals, reducing the impact on our landfills," said mayor Cr Jane Smith.

"Previously, we were required to pay for e-waste items to be recycled, but now Council is being paid with funds able to be redirected towards community assets and services."

Cr Smith said the new contractor used Swiss-designed technology packed in a 40ft container to break down the e-waste including flat panel displays, smart phones and laptops.

"The process uses an innovative system to break down and separate parts including the extraction of mercury from LCD backlighting tubes," she said.

"E-waste can pose major problems when not disposed of correctly, with toxic chemicals such as mercury and lead causing possible pollution and contamination.

"Through this new engagement, residents can now drop off up to 15 household e-waste items at either of our waste management facility at Woy Woy."

The new e-waste contractor, Toxfree, aimed to maximise e-waste recycling and reduce the amount of electronics ending up in landfill.

Cr Smith said this was an excellent initiative and encouraged residents to take advantage of this free service.

Items accepted include desktops, laptops, monitors, modems, keyboards, cables, drives and related accessories, printers and scanners, kitchen appliances, cooling and heating devices, audio equipment, electronic tools, electronic garden equipment and mobile phones

SOURCE:

Media release, 3 Jan 2017

Angela Walsh, Central Coast Council Media