AIIA urges organisations to face environmental challenges

Jul 4, 2005: New recommendations have been made by the Australian Information Industry Association about how organisations can reduce the number of PCs, printers and peripherals that end up in landfill as electronic waste.

The AIIA has suggested that a voluntary industry-wide take-back and recycling scheme is launched to deal with equipment bought today, but AIIA is also fully committed to working with Government and other stakeholders to deal with historic waste too.

James McAdam, the general manager of strategy and policy services at AIIA, said that scheme is result of two years of research into environmental challenges facing the ICT industry and our recommendations for an equitable, viable solution.

"Computer recycling is a complex issue and we have needed to develop a scheme that quickly addresses the electronic waste currently being produced. AIIA and its member companies have been working to resolve this issue, but we need the Government to help ensure we have a level playing field in addressing the issues of historic and orphan waste.

"The concept of shared responsibility means that Government and industry need to work together to develop a fair and equitable scheme that meets the interests and needs of all parties. We welcome any and all suggestions that enable a fair and equitable financial model and that upholds our aspiration of zero waste to landfill."

The key recommendations outlined by the AIIA report include plans to establish an industry-based Producer Responsibility Organisation, with a brief designed to focus on taking back computer products from the local community that were sold after an agreed start date.

It also recommends the introduction of a recycling guarantee built into the cost of equipment to fund the cost of its recycling once it reaches the end of its useful life.

Companies will also have the chance of using the industry PRO, or running their own scheme, subject to agreed minimum standards.

Another key recommendation involves support from the Government to ensure the more environmentally responsible vendors who support PC recycling are not put at a competitive disadvantage to those who do not.

McAdams is now looking forward to the AIIA working closely with Government and other stakeholders to implement the scheme.

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