A new report commissioned by Australian e-waste processor, Sircel, has found that only one in five (19 per cent) of the top 200 ASX-listed companies mention e-waste in their most recent sustainability reports, highlighting a gap in how the world’s fastest-growing waste stream is being reported and managed.
According to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, The Environment and Water (DCCEEW) Australians generate about 22 kilograms of e-waste per capita – more than double the global average. By 2030, national total e-waste is projected to hit 657,000 tonnes.
Sircel’s Plugging Australia’s E-waste Gap report was released today, 14 October, to mark International E-waste Day and highlights the gap in Australia’s e-waste education and recycling efforts. The report surveyed 1000 Australians on their knowledge and expectations of e-waste and features an analysis of the most up-to-date sustainability reports published by ASX 200 companies.
Corporate e-waste gap
While most ASX companies are committed to addressing sustainability and tackling Scope 3 emissions, there’s little to no mention of e-waste in these areas, highlighting a clear gap that needs to be bridged.
Sircel’s research found 76 per cent of ASX 200 companies mentioned Scope 3 emissions in their sustainability reports, but only one company discussed the intricate relationship between Scope 3 emissions and e-waste.
Of the 200 ASX listed companies, 43 per cent mention supporting and working towards a circular economy however only 12 per cent discuss the relationship between e-waste disposal and the circular economy. The vast majority of companies mentioned recycling in their sustainability reports (88 per cent), yet only 15 per cent of those that mentioned recycling included e-waste in their definition of recycling.
Athony Karam, Sircel Founder and Chief Executive Officer, said the report findings come at a critical time when environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals has never been more important for corporate Australia’s transition to a circular economy.
“Australian businesses are looking to scale up their sustainability outcomes in a tangible way that delivers big on climate action. However, our research has highlighted a clear gap in how e-waste is being reported compared to other waste streams –44 per cent of corporate sustainability reports mentioned waste streams but a vast majority failed to include e-waste as one of these streams. That tells us managing e-waste is not yet a boardroom priority in Australia – but as the world’s fastest growing waste stream – it should be.”
Aussie e-waste expectations and knowledge
The research highlights how Australia’s e-waste gap is not just present in the corporate world, the everyday Australian lacks education around e-waste too. There was an almost even split between Australians who knew what e-waste was (52 per cent) and those who didn’t (48 per cent), however the vast majority of Australians were unaware of where their e-waste goes. About 40 per cent of respondents believe their e-waste is sent to landfill onshore, while just 20 per cent of people thought it was sent overseas. More than 60 per cent of consumers weren’t aware that e-waste is often sent overseas to be dumped in developing countries.
When presented with the facts that Australia is one of the highest contributors of e-waste per capita in the world and how most of this e-waste is sent overseas and dumped in developing countries, Aussie’s were clear on what they wanted to see:
- 70 per cent want their e-waste recycled on Australian shores.
- 55 per cent would like to see precious metals recovered and put back into the Australian economy.
- 48 per sent of Australians said they want to see less e-waste being sent overseas.
“With the average Australian generating around 20 kilograms of e-waste each year, we’re one of the highest contributors of e-waste per capita in the world,” Karam said.
“We knew the knowledge gap was significant, and that community and business education would be an essential part of our remit – that’s why with this report we decided to quantify and qualify the gap this International E-waste Day.
“To continue to ignore the valuable commodities locked up in e-waste – instead sending this perceived ‘rubbish’ to landfill or worse, offshore, is a cheaper and more convenient option, but the benefits are short-term, and it will only snowball. As a country that prides itself on its abundance of natural resources, now is the time to secure a future powered by a circular economy.”
For more information, visit: www.sircel.com
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