By Kirsten Brogaard | Melbourne Editor

A familiar scene in Melbourne streets. Image: Kirsten Brogaard

Experts believe that consumers need to know more about what to do with electronic waste, if a national scheme is going to solve the growing problems caused by e-waste.

Among those calling for more education on the issue is John Gertsakis, executive officer of Product Stewardship Australia, an organisation put together by the television industry to help recycling move along.

“The key to success in terms of environmental effectiveness in e-waste is significant collections of the products; diversion from landfill; material recovery; and community awareness in all states and territories,” Mr Gertsakis said.

Since November 2009, Product Stewardship Australia has been working with the government to put the national e-waste scheme together. A part of that is figuring out how to make consumers more aware of what e-waste is and what to do with it.

Currently, only about ten per cent of Australian televisions, computers and other electronic devices are recycled, and Australians know very little about the problems of e-waste, according to Terrie-Anne Johnson, chief executive of Clean up Australia.

“People wouldn’t be able to tell you what items in their home or their office are actually classified as e-waste. We are encouraged to separate our paper, plastic, metals and glass but electronic waste has not been discussed.”

With a rate of growth three times faster than public and domestic waste, the growing piles of e-waste are creating an environmental hazard as toxins and metals, such as mercury and lead in the electronics, are sent to landfill instead of being recycled.

“It is growing so quickly and people don’t know how to get rid of it,” said Ms Johnson, who has been trying to raise awareness about the issues of e-waste for the last decade.

“Generally there is a minimal amount of awareness of the impact of electronic waste and the scope of the problem.”

The government and industry is still working on the scheme, which is only planned to include recycling of televisions and computers. However, some private businesses and a few states have already started to collect and recycle electronic waste, although without much awareness being raised about it.

“Most people would be unaware that they even exist, because there has been no real strong publicity around this,” waste management consultant Peter Allan said.

Allan is the author of ‘Waste and Recycling in Australia’, the government report on e-waste.

He agrees that making the consumers more aware is a crucial factor for the e-waste scheme to succeed.

“They are going to have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars raising the awareness on what the community’s collection options are.”

Mr. Gertisakis from Product Stewardship Australia is already thinking about how to develop an education and information program for the public and he is hoping to reach the Australian consumers when the scheme is up and running next year.

“By the end of 2011 I expect that more people will know that e-waste is something you don’t just put out with your general rubbish but it is something that should be recycled, refurbished and reused,” he said.

Kristen Brogaard is a GEJI exchange student currently at Monash University in Melbourne.