E-scrap world record for TechCollect

Australia – Australian recycler TechCollect has set a new world record for the ‘most consumer electronics collected for recycling in one week’. Citizens all over the country turned in a total of 474 tonnes of old TVs, computers and printers.

‘Setting the world record is a wonderful outcome in the first year of the National Television and Computers Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) and it has increased the awareness of the community on the ease and benefits of recycling,’ comments Carmel Dollisson, ceo of TechCollect.

Besides commending the nation’s communities for their passionate involvement, he also cites some troubling figures. Until last year, only between 10% and 17% of e-scrap in Australia was recycled, while roughly 17 million TVs, computers, printers and their accessories were disposed of. He expects the new NTCRS scheme to coax e-scrap recycling to 30% this year; and TechCollect aims to get the recycling rate up all the way to 80% over the next 10 years.

‘Hopefully, this Guinness World Record will help to increase the number of Australians who are aware that they can recycle their e-waste for free,’ states Dollisson. At present, most citizens do not realise that over 90% of their old electronic devices can be recycled, as a result of which the e-scrap problem in Australia is ‘growing rapidly’. An estimated 181 000 tonnes of TVs and computers are expected to reach their end-of-life stage by 2027/28.

For more information, visit: www.techcollect.com.au