BREAKTHROUGH ON E-WASTE AGENDA

Organizations to take responsibility for their own e-waste recycling

Melbourne, Australia, 27 May 2009; The Federal Government’s long awaited National Product Stewardship program to address the issue of e-Waste has been heralded long overdue by one of the country’s GreenScaping experts, Helen Jarman from Infoactiv.

As a follow on from Friday’s announcement all organizations will now need to start taking responsibility for their own e-waste product recycling.

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon. Peter Garrett MP, announced that an agreement has been made to commence the necessary research required to develop a national e-Waste framework. This study will be available for public comment by July with a final decision being made by the Council at the next meeting in November 2009.

This will mean that companies who do not currently have any e-Waste recycling solution in place will now need to prioritize the development of their e-Waste strategies to keep up with community, industry and government demands, to ensure product is diverted from landfill.

"With studies showing that within two years Australians will have discarded or stockpiled 9 million computers, 2 million scanners and 5 million printers*, the government’s proposed action for an e-Waste management framework is something the industry should whole heartedly support", said Ms Jarman

So that companies are ready for planned regulation, Infoactiv has launched the GreenScaping program, which involves identifying, measuring and managing an organization’s current and forecast e-Waste recycling activities. With fewer than 20% of Australian organizations having developed an ongoing environmental sustainability strategy, it is important to have a program in place that will assist companies to develop these strategies and leverage existing industry programs, such as the GreenScaping.

"With the recent announcement by Minister Peter Garrett, it is vital that companies are proactive in putting in place environmental programs that support product stewardship and address the e-Waste issue. This will avoid potential legislative implications and will seize the opportunity to meet growing consumer demands for "green" products," says Helen Jarman, Managing Director of Infoactiv.

Infoactiv has already developed successful GreenScaping recycling strategies for Hewlett Packard and MobileMuster and many other manufacturers. Infoactiv has set up ongoing business and community initiatives for many companies that offer consumers the opportunity to dispose of unwanted electronic equipment in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.

"Many companies are unsure how to progress an effective sustainability program, or successfully incorporate these environmental initiatives into their business model. By adopting the GreenScaping program, companies can readily access and integrate this expertise into their organization, as part of their overall market offering and their corporate and social responsibilities."

For more information, contact Helen Jarman at Infoactiv on +61 3 9403 3400

*Information supplied by Australian Bureau of Statistics

For more information on Infoactiv’s products and services, please email info@infoactiv.com.au

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