Getting real about e-waste: new consultation paper on product stewardship

The Australian Government is getting real about tackling Australia's growing e-waste mounds. It's looking for comments on a consultation paper on product stewardship by 8 April 2011, and a national co-regulatory product stewardship scheme that extends manufacturer or importer responsibility to the end of life of computers and televisions could be in place as early as the final quarter of this year.

The proposed national take-back scheme for televisions and computers, called the National Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme (E-Waste Scheme) sets aggressive targets which aim to lift recycling rates for televisions, computers and computer peripherals from 10% to 80% by 2021.