By Staff Writer

West Australian councils collected 210 tonnes worth of electronic waste in a recent free e-waste collection drive.

Old televisions, computers and household electrical goods, which could have filled 15 shipping containers, were collected by 11 metropolitan local governments and regional authorities.

The event was supported by the WA Waste Authority, Apple and the WA Local Government Association (WALGA). Apple committed to covering the costs of recycling the collected e-waste.

WALGA President, Bill Mitchell, said the initiative saved local government an estimated $200,000 in e-waste recycling costs.

“With the amount of electronic waste generated in homes generally increasing, it’s great to see so many people taking the time to dispose of their old electronic items responsibly,” Cr Mitchell said.

“These items, if not properly disposed of, have the potential to release toxic metals that impact on both our health and the environment, so we applaud all the local government authorities involved that made this event such a success.

“We are now holding discussions with Apple on the possibility of holding some non-metropolitan collection days in the future.”

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