environment.gov.au National Television & Computer Recycling Scheme Australia : Department of Energy

Name of the Organization : Department of Environment and Energy
Type of Facility : National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme
Country : Australia

Website : http://www.environment.gov.au/protection/national-waste-policy/television-and-computer-recycling-scheme
Guideline : https://www.statusin.org/uploads/26059-recycling.pdf

National Television & Computer Recycling Scheme :

** The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme was established in 2011 to provide Australian householders and small business with access to industry-funded collection and recycling services for televisions and computers.

Related : Department of Human Services Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme Australia : www.statusin.org/25972.html

** To date, more than 1,800 collection services have been made available to the public and more than 130,000 tonnes of TV and computer e-waste has been collected and recycled under the scheme.
** This has diverted hazardous materials away from landfill and enabled the reuse of valuable resources contained in e-waste.

** The scheme has also created employment opportunities within the recycling sector, and assisted local government manage e-waste by providing alternative collection services.
** The scheme supplements state, territory and local government e-waste management, but does not entirely replace these activities.

Roles and Responsibilities :
Local government :
** Can work with co-regulatory arrangements to deliver scheme services
** Manage e-waste outside the scheme as needed

Householders and small businesses :
** Access to industry-funded scheme e-waste collection services
** E-waste disposal outside of scheme services may incur a fee

Scheme Collection Services :
** Free of charge scheme collection points for e-waste disposal
** Services may be permanent or temporary, and run by councils, retailers, or other providers

State and Territory Governments :
** Environmental protection authorities and other agencies manage licensing and ensure environmental and work health and safety compliance
** Responsible for overseeing the management of e-waste outside the scheme

E-waste Recyclers :
** Contract with co-regulatory arrangements to provide recycling services
** E-waste recyclers can also work with other businesses and local governments to recycle e-waste outside the scheme

Co-regulatory arrangements (Administrators) :
** Achieve scheme outcomes on behalf of their liable party members
** Organise scheme collection and recycling activities, communicate this information to the public

Liable parties :
** Required to join and fund a co-regulatory arrangement

Department of the Environment :
** Ensures compliance of liable parties
** Ensures co-regulatory arrangements meet scheme outcomes.

Department of Immigration and Border Protection :
** Regulate imports and exports
** Provide import data to the Department of the Environment

Customs brokers :
** Assist liable parties with their imports, lodge import information with Department of Immigration and Border Protection

Who is regulated?
** The Regulation applies to two key groups: liable parties and administrators of co-regulatory arrangements.
** Liable parties are corporations that imported or manufactured products covered by the Regulations in the previous financial year.
** Thresholds apply to limit the impact of the scheme on small businesses by exempting companies that import or manufacture fewer than 15,001 computer parts or peripherals or 5,001 televisions, computers or printers.
** Liable parties must be a member of an approved co-regulatory arrangement which organises collection and recycling of e-waste on their behalf.

** All arrangements have an administrator, which is the body corporate responsible for administering the arrangement on behalf of members, and must ensure all reasonable steps are taken to meet outcomes specified in the Regulations.

** Arrangements can have one liable party member or multiple liable parties participating.
** Substantial civil penalties apply to a liable party that fails to become a member of an approved co-regulatory arrangement.

Reasonable access :
The Regulations require each approved arrangement to provide reasonable access to collection services :
** For each metropolitan area, the number of collection services available in each financial year must at least equal the population of that area divided by 250,000
** For inner regional areas, at least one service must be provided within 100km of every town of 10,000 people or more in each financial year

** For outer regional areas, at least one service must be provided within 150km of every town of 4,000 people or more in each financial year
** For remote areas, at least one service must be provided within 200km of every town of 2,000 people or more, once every two financial years.