Electrical and electronic waste (e-waste)

Electronic and electrical waste, or ‘e-waste’, covers a range of items we all use and discard at work and at home. It includes, but is not limited to, batteries, televisions, computers, mobile phones, light globes, kitchen appliances and white goods.

While e-waste is not one of the main waste streams generated in Australia, it is one of the fastest growing and has significant opportunities for material recovery.

E-waste contains materials which may present risks to human health and the environment if not disposed of appropriately. It also contains recoverable materials, often including materials that are high in value. 

In support of WA’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 (waste strategy), it is important to increase the recovery of the valuable materials in many electrical items which are lost when sent to landfill. The aim is also to protect the environment from hazardous materials contained in e-waste and protect people from the risk of fires caused by batteries. 

The WA Government is delivering a statewide industry ban on e-waste disposal to landfill by 2024 which supports the objectives of the waste strategy: 

• Western Australians recover more value and resources from waste 
• Western Australians protect the environment by managing waste responsibly.

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (the department) will administer more than $10 million in grant funding from 2023 through a series of competitive grant rounds.  

The grants program supports the ban by funding increased e-waste collection, storage and/or reuse including e-waste processing/recycling. 

Information and data on e-waste can be found in the 2021 report on Western Australian Material Flows Analysis [PDF 6 MB].

Unwanted electronics can be reused by giving them to someone who does want them, such as family, friends or neighbours. E-waste unable to be reused or repaired may be collected by local councils, or taken to a drop-off point.

E-waste management initiatives in WA aim to complement national action and support the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 objectives to avoid waste, recover more value and resources from waste, and protect the environment from the impacts of waste.

Western Australia supports implementation of national product stewardship schemes, where the schemes provide measurable benefits to the State.