The Victorian Government has officially opened its public consultation on plans to ban e-waste from the state’s landfills.
The discussion paper, Managing e-waste in Victoria – starting the conversation, is available for feedback until 1 November 2015.
The Andrews Government’s goals for waste and resource recovery are outlined in Victoria’s Statewide Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan (SWRRIP), which was released in June.
The SWRRIP provides a long-term vision for Victoria’s landfills to only receive and treat waste streams from which all materials that can be viably recovered have been saved. The commitment to ban e-waste from landfill supports this through supporting the development of alternatives to landfill.
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), in partnership with the Environment Protection Authority, Sustainability Victoria and Victoria’s waste and resource recovery groups, has released a consultation paper to help develop the best approach.
The announcement said the this consultation process “is important because removing such a significant source of waste from our landfills will require action from the community, as well as recyclers and landfill managers”.
DELWP is seeking feedback and insights on a range of topics around e-waste from those within the industry, stakeholders and the general public.
Launching the consultation, Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water Lisa Neville said: “An e-waste landfill ban will require change in the way that industry, community and local government manages e-waste. It’s critical that we work together to understand the impacts and develop the best approach.”
“Developing a better plan for e-waste will help create jobs, grow our recycling industry and preserve our environment for all Victorians to enjoy,” she added.
Feedback on the consultation can be provided on the DELWP website.