By Keri Algar
SYDNEY, NSW: TVs and computes will be the first products to be covered under the Product Stewardship Bill, which hopes to increase the recycling rate to 80 per cent over the next decade, according to Senator Don Farrell, parliamentary secretary for sustainability and urban water.
“The proposed scheme will require importers and manufacturers of TVs, computers and computer peripherals to fund and implement national collection and recycling of these products,” said Farrell.
“Recyclable materials that can be recovered from TVs and computers include glass and plastics, iron, steel, aluminium and copper, and precious metals such as gold, platinum and silver.”
Farrell also said the Bill had been developed following extensive stakeholder and community consultation, which Sony Australia today confirmed.
Stuart Clark, head of service at Sony Australia and New Zealand told Current.com.au that Sony had been involved in the consultation process as a member company through Product Stewardship Australia and also as a member of the implementation working group.
“This process has been a long one and Sony strongly supports the introduction of national co-regulatory arrangements to support the recycling of TV equipment. The recovery of resources will bring environmental and economic benefits,” said Clark.
“We believe it’s a step in the right direction but there is a lot of work to be done now by both government and industry. We are keen to ensure there is a sensibly timed roll out of the program once the Bill gains final approval.”
According to Farrell, nationwide collection services will be progressively rolled over a 5-year period. Meanwhile, Sony is eager to point out company efforts in reducing its environmental footprint and its acquiescence of similar legislation in other countries.
“In Japan for example Sony’s rate of recovery of resources from collected end of life products, including TVs and computers, is excess of 90 per cent.
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“Sony promotes the collection and recycling of end-of-life products in compliance with the legislative requirements of different countries and regions, including the Home Appliance Recycling Law in Japan, the EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (the WEEE Directive) in Europe and the state of California's Electronic Waste Recycling Act in the United States. Australia is next!”