Australia produces a staggering 138,000 tonnes of e-waste per year, but this is expected to increase to about 223,000 tonnes by 2024*. The increasing rate of new technologies and swift uptake of that technology means that device upgrades are faster than ever before.
Old devices are being discarded into landfill, which can have harmful effects on the environment. Discarding technology in this way is problematic for two reasons. In discarding old devices, we are:
- Wasting the precious metals in the technology found in the inner components of the technology, such as gold, silver and copper, which means we need to mine for more of these precious materials. Mining is, in turn, incredibly destructive on the natural environment.
- Letting the harmful chemicals in these technologies such as lead, arsenic, phosphor, mercury, fluids and refrigerants be released into the environment, which then make their way into our soils and waterways
At WorkVentures, we refurbish donated computers and corporate technology and divert approximately 120 tonnes from landfill each year.
If your organisation would like to donate technology to charity including computers, laptops or tablets, we will happily arrange collection for quantities of 25 or more.
What Happens to Your Donated Technology?
All donated technology is scanned into our database on arrival to track its movement and progress.
Depending on the condition of the technology, computers are either refurbished to resell to those less fortunate or are responsibly recycled.
Fostering Digital Inclusion
References
*Whigham, N. (2019). Get ready for new ban on bin contents. [online] NewsComAu. Available at:
https://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/victoria-prepares-for-new-ewaste-measures-to-tackle-one-of-the-greatest-environmental-challenges-of-our-age/news-story/269f9f605fab235311d2ba3d83c518dd [Accessed 15 Dec. 2019].
https://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/victoria-prepares-for-new-ewaste-measures-to-tackle-one-of-the-greatest-environmental-challenges-of-our-age/news-story/269f9f605fab235311d2ba3d83c518dd [Accessed 15 Dec. 2019].
