- Published:
- Thursday 21 January 2016
Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Lisa Neville today visited PGM Refiners in South-East Melbourne to launch Australia’s first automated electronic waste processing system, which will significantly improve Victoria’s e-waste processing capabilities.
The Andrews Labor Government invested $470,000 in funding towards the purchase and installation of a new state-of-the-art machine capable of processing large quantities of e-waste in a faster, more efficient way.
This new technology will be able to process 2500 tonnes of e-waste each year, recycling more than a tonne of e-waste an hour. It will produce saleable commodities through resource recovery which can be used by local manufacturers to create new products.
Electronic waste from televisions, computers, phones and other electronic devices is the fastest growing waste stream in Australia, putting pressure on waste management infrastructure and the environment.
The Labor Government is currently considering submissions from its discussion paper, Managing e-waste in Victoria – starting the conversation, to meet its commitment on banning e-waste from landfill.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water, Lisa Neville
“This Australian-first technology represents a significant advancement in how we process e-waste, demonstrating our commitment to keeping these materials out of landfill.”
“This machine will reduce environmental and health impacts by eliminating the need to manually dismantle products, which can be unsafe and labour intensive.”
Quote attributable to Member for Dandenong, Gabrielle Williams
“It’s great to see Australian first innovative recycling technology here in Dandenong, helping the environment and creating job opportunities for local Victorians.”