The City of Sydney has reported a record number of residents taking part in the last electronic waste collection for the year, with over 20 tonnes of old televisions, computers, mobile phones and electronic devices handed in.

 

A total of 550 residents dropped off items at the City's Ultimo depot - an increase of 43 per cent compared with last year's December collection.

 

Throughout 2011, the number of participants and the amount of electronic waste has steadily increased during each quarterly collection with a grand total of 1,853 individual drop-offs and more than 65 tonnes of e-waste set aside for recycling.

 

City of Sydney Resource Recovery Manager Leisha Deguara said the record figures reinforced the need for the a national recycling scheme for broken and discarded televisions and computers.

 

Since the City's e-waste recycling program began in November 2008, more than 156 tonnes of waste has been diverted from landfill, with 95 to 99 per cent of the raw materials recovered and recycled.

 

According to the Federal Government, e-waste is growing three times faster than any other type of waste and could treble to nearly 700 million items in the next decade.

 

In 2008, 17 million televisions, computers and computer products were discarded across Australia, but only 10 per cent were recycled.

 

The national scheme for recycling televisions and computers will be implemented in the first half of next year, funded by the manufacturers and importers of televisions and computers.