- Infrastructure Grants Program sees 21 projects share in more than $6.5 million
- Projects to create more than 60 jobs and divert 17,000 tonnes of e-waste from landfill
- First round of grants to support the ban of e-waste disposal to landfill from 2024
More than $6.5 million will be shared among 21 projects to boost Western Australia’s recycling capacity of electrical and electronic waste.
E-waste includes items with a plug, battery or cord that are no longer working or wanted.
The Infrastructure Grants Program supports an election commitment to ban e-waste disposal to landfill from next year.
The first round of funding has been allocated to 21 projects, which are expected to divert more than 17,000 tonnes of e-waste from landfill. These will create a total of 62 jobs and increase e-waste storage, collection and processing for over 920,000 customers.
The projects include construction of e-waste management structures as well as the purchaseof specialty storage bins and recycling equipment.
Six projects are based in regional WA and include infrastructure, such as concrete slabs, sheds, shelters, sea containers and cages, for local governments to collect and manage e-waste prior to processing.
Nearly $2.4 million will go towards two photovoltaic recycling facilities to reduce the disposal of solar panels to landfill.The investment includes automated recycling equipment predicted to process an additional 22,000 solar panels per year.
Collection boxes for e-waste will be placed at four Containers for Change locations, including Wangara, Malaga, Kenwick and Cockburn, to encourage correct waste sorting.
WA’s e-waste ban will include large household appliances such as white goods, mobile phones, televisions, computers, screens, data storage, batteries, medical equipment, lighting and lamps.
Future phases of the ban would capture small household appliances like kettles, toasters and vacuums, as well as photovoltaic systems including solar panels, to support national harmonisation such as the Federal Government’s planned e-stewardship actions.
A second round of grant funding is scheduled for next year.
As stated by Environment Minister Reece Whitby:
“E-waste is a rapidly growing stream of waste and this funding will increase reuse and recycling pathways for electrical and electronic items as well as create jobs.
“Banning e-waste disposal to landfill means we can recover valuable materials that would otherwise be lost, and in the process, build local industries as well as protect the environment.
“This is an important step in moving our State closer to its goal of a circular economy. I look forward to seeing these projects delivered and in operation.”
Stream 1 E-waste collection and storage and/or reuse infrastructure grants
Organisation | Project Title | Project Description | Funding Allocation |
City of Belmont | Construction of e-waste storage shed at Belmont’s Operations Centre | City of Belmont will construct a storage shed to increase collection and storage capacity and protect e-waste from the weather, while providing capacity for a further 10 tonnes of waste to be diverted from landfill. | $8,527 |
Ecocycle Pty Ltd | Procurement of specialized e-waste storage bins | Ecocycle will procure e-waste bins to provide large scale bulk collection and storage for approximately 1,325 tonnes of e-waste. | $250,000 |
Mindarie Regional Council | Construction of concrete base and storage shed at Tamala Park | Mindarie Regional Council will construct a concrete base and storage shed providing increased capacity to source, separate and store an extra 80 tonnes of e-waste per year. | $38,000 |
Recycle IT Australia | Procurement of commercial customer e-waste storage bins | Recycle IT will purchase bins to collect a further 47 tonnes of e-waste prior for use in office spaces, server rooms or building waste storage facilities. | $55,400 |
Sam’s Spares Incorporated | Sam’s Spares workshop expansion for e-waste reuse | Sam’s Spares will purchase tools, storage and workbenches to provide capacity and capability for 735 tonnes of e-waste to be repaired and refurbished. | $232,747 |
Scouts Association of Western Australia | Establishment of e-waste collection points | Scouts will begin using e-waste collection bins and a bin lifter to enable safe collection, storage and handling of e-waste and help divert 8 tonnes from landfill. | $56,923 |
Shire of Broome | Establishment of an e-waste drop off facility | The Shire of Broome will create a permanent e-waste drop off facility by constructing a concrete slab, procurement of sea containers and collapsible stillages for easy accessibility in both wet and dry seasons. | $81,664 |
Shire of Cranbrook | Increased e-waste storage capacity at Rubbish Tip Road | The Shire of Cranbrook will construct a concrete slab and shed increasing storage capacity for approximately 2 tonnes of e-waste. | $22,000 |
Shire of Dardanup | Improved e-waste capacity at waste transfer station | The Shire of Dardanup will construct a concrete slab and shed and purchase storage cages, diverting 15 tonnes of e-waste per year. | $21,749 |
Shire of Merredin | Establish increased e-waste collection at Merredin waste transfer facility | The Shire of Merredin will extend its e-waste storage concrete slab and construct a new shed to increase capacity to support a further 8 tonnes of e-waste diverted from landfill. | $75,680 |
Shire of Northam | Provide e-waste collection at Inkpen waste management facility | The Shire of Northam will purchase a sea container for e-waste storage at Inkpen waste management facility in Wundowie prior to onward processing, providing e-waste recycling options for the greater region. | $5,300 |
Shire of Victoria Plains | Provision of E-waste recycling across the Shire of Victoria Plains | The Shire of Victoria Plains will provide e-waste collection at three waste management facilities in Calingiri, Bolgart and Mogumber by pouring concrete slabs and constructing sheds to house e-waste. Specialised mobile and collapsible stillages will also be purchased. | $230,795 |
Shire of Waroona | Construction of e-waste structure at Buller Road | The Shire of Waroona will construct a covered structure to store e-waste at Buller Road refuse disposal site prior to onward processing. | $17,000 |
Total Green Recycling Pty Ltd | Procurement of reuse storage cages to increase source separation | Total Green will purchase asset recovery cages facilitating e-waste source separation prior to survey for repurpose and reuse or recycling opportunities. | $131,850 |
Total Green Recycling Pty Ltd | Increase operational bin storage capacity across the State’s e-waste network | Total Green will purchase operational cages to increase e-waste collection and storage in the e-waste collection network. | $151,200 |
Stream 2 E-waste reprocessing and recycling infrastructure grants
Organisation | Project Title | Project Description | Funding Allocation |
Auscon Metals Pty Ltd | Construction of e-waste facility and implementation of processing plant | Auscon will construct a concrete floor and covered building including the purchase of an e-waste processing plant. The equipment provides processing capacity of 10,000 tonnes of e-waste per year. | $556,500 |
Cyber Computer Recycling and Disposal Pty Ltd | Establishment of a comprehensive solar photovoltaic recycling facility | Cyber Recycling will purchase automated solar photovoltaic recycling equipment providing increased recycling capacity. The current process recycles 2,000 solar panels per year, with the new equipment increasing processing to 22,000 panels per year. | $456,000 |
Recycle IT Australia (Datawest Group Pty Ltd) | E-waste recycling, shredding and secure data wiping plant upgrades | Recycle IT will purchase an e-waste shredder and degausser to maximise recycling and data wiping. The current process has the capability to process 5 devices per hour. This will increase to 20 devices per hour and eliminate the need for manual processing. | $80,713 |
Scipher Technologies PTY Ltd | Advanced photovoltaic panel recycling project | Scipher will purchase and commission an advanced photovoltaics panel recycling system providing increased recovery and recycling capacity. The project will provide 80% material diversion from landfill. | $1,919,890 |
Secure Computer Recycling and Disposal (SCRD) Pty Ltd | Mobile sanitization racking and equipment | SCRD will purchase and utilise mobile data sanitization racking and equipment assisting in the diversion of up to 10,000 hard drives, or 10 tonne, from landfill per year, providing greater reuse opportunities. | $169,250 |
Total Green Recycling Pty Ltd | E-waste recycling plant infrastructure upgrade | Total Green Recycling will purchase an e-waste unloading conveyor, install a flat panel deconstruction line and upgrade a secondary shredder and separator. The equipment will increase capacity to 5,000 tonnes of e-waste per year, improve material diversion rates from landfill and reduce processing costs for customers. | $1,975,325 |
