Critical.
Authoritative.
Strategic.
Subscribe to CIO Magazine »

Recycling program takes a big byte out of greenhouse gases

Mandate for manufacturers necessary
Page:

The Byteback electronic waste recycling program has reached a significant milestone by preventing over 1000 tonnes of Greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.

Details of the success of Byteback were outlined in a joint announcement today by the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and Sims e-Recycling. A unique innovation in Australian e-waste management, Byteback is a successful partnership between government and industry that offers responsible electronic waste recycling free of charge to small business and the community. With over 250 tonnes of electronic waste diverted from landfill through Sims e-Recycling, the Byteback pilot is establishing itself as an Australian waste management success story, according to AIIA CEO, Sheryle Moon. "Every piece of equipment that is recycled saves a minimum of four to five times its own weight in CO2 emissions," she said. "Additionally, up to 97 per cent of all materials collected through Byteback are recovered for recycling and reuse." The Byteback program is providing a clear picture of the e-waste stream, demonstrating the potential to divert this waste into new products and pioneering a model for cost efficient and sustainable electronic waste collection on a large scale. "Byteback continues to attract national attention and interest is now being registered by other states to join the program,"Moon said.

"This is welcome enthusiasm, however the roll-out of sites on a larger scale will not be sustainable unless state and federal governments can work together to ensure all computer manufacturers are required to participate in a national product stewardship program." Moon said the ICT industry is willing to commit to this goal but it is up to the political will of governments across the country to work with industry and other stakeholders to make this happen. AIIA developed the Byteback program in partnership with Sustainability Victoria and founding industry partners Apple, Canon, Dell, Epson, Fujitsu, Fuji-Xerox, HP, IBM, Lenovo, and Lexmark. The partnership operates sites at four municipalities across Victoria: Camberwell, Geelong, Moonee Valley and Darebin.

Sims e-Recycling operates two of these; the other sites are also close to reaching these levels of CO2 abatement.

Five additional sites are also under consideration in other major Victorian regional centres.

One Australian recycling program that has proven to be very successful is 'Cartridges 4 Planet Ark' which has diverted more than 5.5 million printer cartridges from Australia's landfill.

Using revolutionary Australian technology, the innovative program helps to facilitate sustainable use of resources as all of the items dropped into 'Cartridges 4 Planet Ark' recycling boxes are sent to a zero-waste-to-landfill facility.

Page:

Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.

More about: AIIA, Apple, Australian Information Industry Association, Canon, Dell, Epson, EPSON, Fuji, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Lexmark, Milestone, Waste Management, Xerox

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Users posting comments agree to the CIO comments policy.
Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.
Related Whitepapers
Latest Stories
Community Comments
Latest Blog Posts
Whitepapers
  • Disciplined Agile Delivery: An Introduction
    This evaluation guide is designed to help you choose the best tool to support your current Agile projects, while protecting your investment as your team, needs and agile maturity grow.
    Learn more »
  • Restore control, Reinforce security & Reduce Cost
    Uncontrolled print environments and practices present a serious risk to the profit and security of your organisation. IT is under pressure to protect sensitive information, secure devices, and improve the way they manage the entire fleet. To gain better control, your organisation needs to implement plans that meet industry regulations while also increasing productivity, lowering costs, and providing users with more flexible imaging and printing solutions. Read more.
    Learn more »
  • Best Practices for Oracle License Management: Optimise Usage and Minimise Audit Liability
    With Oracle audits on the rise, organisations that can best align license agreements with actual database and option usage can reduce their financial risk and maximise the value of their Oracle investments. The goal is to “right-size” Oracle across the enterprise and gain control over the entire license management process – from accurate needs projections and licensing negotiations, to deployments and audit preparation. Read on.
    Learn more »
All whitepapers
rhs_login_lockGet exclusive access to Invitation only events CIO, reports & analysis.