Electronic scrap - A hazardous waste

Fact sheet
Department of the Environment and Heritage, February 2004

PDF file

Electronic scrap embraces old computers (PC and mainframe), file servers, monitors, printers, other peripheral IT equipment, old telecommunications equipment (mobile and land line telephones and fax machines) and photocopying equipment which are either not in working condition or are so outdated that they would have no future use unless extensively upgraded.
Eventually all equipment become so old that they are fit only for recovery of scrap metal values.
The rate of generation of electronic scrap in Australia is large, and is accelerating. There are approximately 9 million computers, 5 million printers and 2 million scanners currently in households and businesses across Australia, and all of these will be replaced, most within the next couple of years

All electronic equipment contain printed circuit boards which are hazardous because of their content of -
- lead (in solder)
- brominated flame retardants (typically 5-10 % by weight)
- antimony oxide, which is also present as a flame retardant (typically 1-2% by weight)
The plastic cases of computer boxes (housing the CPU and interface boards etc.), monitors and printers also contain brominated flame retardants (typically 5%) and antimony oxides (typically 1%).
Monitors contain approximately 10-20% lead in the glass tube (as a protection against x-rays)
Some equipment also contains significant levels of other hazardous materials such as cadmium and beryllium.
When the old equipment is stripped down to recover metals (eg small amounts of gold and other precious metals in the contacts on circuit boards), there is a high probability that hazardous materials or by-products will be released.

Electronic scrap comes from various sources, but two of the more important are from auction houses and Information Technology lease firms, where old equipment with no re-sale value in Australia is sold to exporters in consignments to clear it from their premises. Some computing recycling companies also export old computers or parts (eg circuit boards) for further recycling overseas.

Historically very large volumes of electronic scrap have been exported from developed countries (including Australia) to developing countries including China, the Philippines, Thailand and India. In these countries where labour is cheap, and OH&S and environmental standards are low, the labour-intensive disassembly and recovery of valuable metals is more economically viable than in developed countries.
However, recently countries such as China and Thailand have stated that they will no longer allow the "dumping" of electronic scrap for this type of recycling, and other Asian nations are likely to follow suit.

Yes. If you are planning to export electronic waste, please refer to the Criteria for the export and import of used electronic equipment
As electronic scrap is defined as a hazardous waste under the Australian Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1989, exports of this waste to other countries for recycling are legal only after the exporter has applied for and been granted an export permit by the Department of the Environment and Heritage.
Companies or individuals who export hazardous waste in contravention of the Act may be liable for severe fines, and in the case of company directors and individuals imprisonment of up to five years.

For general enquiries contact the Hazardous Waste Section, Department of the Environment and Heritage:

A range of information papers and guidance papers are also available at : www.deh.gov.au/industry/chemicals/hazardous-waste/

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