Electronic waste
We will be collecting e-waste (along with soft plastics and polystyrene) at our next Recycling Drop-Off Day on Saturday 18 July.
What is e-waste?
Electronic waste (e-waste) refers to items that are powered by batteries or that plug into an electric outlet, and are damaged or of no use to their owners.
Examples include:
- mobile phones
- chargers
- hi-fi sets
- radios
- kitchen appliances e.g. toasters, kettles, blenders, egg beaters
- microwaves
- electronic frypans
- irons
- satellite navigation systems (GPS)
- cameras
- hair dryers and straighteners
- electric toothbrushes
- tablets e.g. iPads, e-readers
- electric racing cars
- electric lamps
- remotes
- hand-held video game devices
- video game consoles
- drills
- electric saws
- electronic instruments e.g. keyboards
- modems
- hard drives
- headphones with cords
- coffee machines
- computers, laptops, monitors and speakers
- printers, scanners and photocopiers
- televisions
- sewing machines
- vacuum cleaners
- amplifiers
- server material
- electric fans
- leaf blowers
- whipper snippers
- automatic dispensers
- energy storage systems
- cash registers
- power boards
- home security systems
- electric pumps
- solar panels
- solar inverters
Please do not put e-waste into your household bins as they pose a serious fire risk.
How to safely dispose of e-waste
Vapes
Safely dispose of vapes at the Hobsons Bay Civic Centre in Altona
Vapes (e-cigarettes) are a growing litter problem, often discarded in parks, streets and waterways. When thrown in household bins, their lithium-ion batteries can explode, causing danger to our waste workers and the community.
To tackle this issue, we have introduced a vape recycling program. Residents can drop off used vapes at the Hobsons Bay Civic Centre in Altona, where materials like metals, plastics, and copper will be recovered through specialised recycling.
Ready to quit? Find help here.
Small e-waste
Drop small e-waste at your local 'Recycling Made Easy' hub
You can drop-off small electronic waste items at our Recycling Made Easy hubs. They are located at 12 libraries and community centres across Hobsons Bay. Learn more about the Recycling Made Easy program.
Large e-waste
Do you have large household e-waste items that don't fit in our Recycling Made Easy cabinets? You can book a hard waste collection or wait to dispose of them through an upcoming Recycling Drop-Off Day, which run every second month.
For information about our next Recycling Drop-Off Day, you can:
A growing problem
We collect about 500 illegally dumped televisions and computers each year. We also collect about 300 electronic waste items monthly, including 100 televisions, through the hard waste collection service.
The amount of electronic waste is rapidly increasing as appliances and gadgets play a bigger role in our daily lives. Consider:
- thinking twice about purchasing the 'latest and greatest' electronic gadget (reduce)
- giving your electronic items in good, working condition another life by gifting or selling the item on a second-hand marketplace (reuse)
- donating items in good, working condition to a local charity. West Welcome Wagon accepts donations of some electronic items. Contact donate@westwelcomewagon.org.au for drop off details.