Image: Product Stewardship Australia.

Western Australian Environment Minister Donna Faragher has announced the formation of a new Waste Authority committee to develop strategies for dealing with electronic waste, including analogue televisions discarded ahead of the digital television switch-over.

The announcement follows the ACT Government’s commitment to become the first Australian jurisdiction to introduce a ban on televisions going to landfill. 

Ms Faragher said the WA Government would not wait for a national strategy to be in place before tackling the growing problem of e-waste dumped in landfill.

“Estimates suggest that during the next three years, there will be 360,000 discarded analogue televisions and 180,000 discarded computers in Western Australia,” she said.

“State and Federal environment ministers have agreed to a national strategy by 2013, but it is important WA takes steps to deal with the e-waste in the meantime.

“The $400,000 from the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Account will assist in the collection and recycling of e-waste at major metropolitan and regional depots for the coming months.”

The Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Account is to be funded from levies collected from the disposal of waste to landfill.

Ms Faragher said the new e-waste committee, which is expected to include local government representatives, electronic retailers and waste managers, will consider and recommend a broader strategy for dealing with the issue.

The Minister also warned that there will be tough penalties for the illegal dumping of e-waste.

“The State Government will be introducing tough new illegal dumping legislation that will see fines increased to $62,5000 for an individual and $125,000 for a body corporate,” she said.