Peak Industry Groups welcome Federal Legislation on Product Stewardship and E-Waste Recycling

The Australian TV and Computer industries welcomed introduction of the Product Stewardship Bill into the Federal Parliament yesterday.

The Bill will provide the enabling regulations for manufacturers, suppliers and importers of Information Technology (IT) equipment and TVs to finalise plans for a national e-waste recycling scheme.

The two peak industry bodies representing IT and consumer electronics companies have been relentless in their efforts to design and deliver a permanent e-waste recycling service to the community for several years.

The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), which is nation’s peak body on ICT matters, believes that the Bill is a significant step towards supporting industry efforts to deliver a national scheme which requires industry-wide participation and funding.

Similarly, Product Stewardship Australia (PSA), the peak environmental body representing TV manufacturers, has welcomed the Product Stewardship Bill after many years of advocating the need for intelligent legislation that will help ensure significant environment benefit by diverting obsolete TVs and Computers from landfill.

In a related landmark decision made by industry yesterday in Sydney, both PSA and AIIA formally agreed to create a single industry body known as a ‘Product Stewardship Organisation’ (PSO). This new joint PSO will be the primary organisation charged with delivering the national TV and Computer recycling scheme under the Legislation introduced to the Senate today.

To date, both PSA and AIIA have played a critical role in working collaboratively with Government to inform the development of the Bill and how it would be applied to the operational aspects of e-waste recycling in Australia.

“The AIIA and its Environmental Special Interest Group are very pleased to see the Federal Government act on such an important environmental issue. Our members have been especially pro-active in developing computer recycling solutions through the ByteBack program currently in operation in Victoria“ said Ian Birks, CEO of the AIIA.

John Gertsakis, the Executive Director of PSA, also welcomed the Bill’s introduction.

“PSA has been a strong supporter of legislation which balances Government intervention, measurable environmental outcomes and social demand. The importance of Government policies and regulations which meet community expectations but are also flexible and enable industry to operate efficiently, is paramount” said Gertsakis.

Both PSA and AIIA agree that much detail is yet to be finalised by Government, however ongoing and transparent discussions between industry and Government are considered essential if industry is to fund a national e-waste recycling scheme.