Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the e-waste to landfill ban in Western Australia. To learn more about the ban, visit our E-waste to landfill ban in WA webpage or view our e-waste ban fact sheets.
What kinds of e-waste items are included in WA’s e-waste to landfill ban?
Show moreThe regulated e-waste categories and types of items included in the ban are summarised in our E-waste ban – Overview fact sheet. Full details are provided in Schedule 1 of the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery (e-waste) Regulations 2024 (the Regulations).
The initial phase of the ban includes e-waste items that can be processed via existing management pathways and product stewardship schemes. As the waste industry and market capacity increases, and additional viable pathways for collection and recycling of products are established, future phases of the ban may widen the scope of banned items and align WA with national approaches.
How do I find e-waste drop-off points or recyclers that accept regulated e-waste?
Show moreRecycle Right’s Find My Nearest search function allows users to search for e-waste drop-off locations by material type and distance.
Can a member of the public take e-waste to a recycling facility?
Show moreYes, if the facility accepts residential e-waste items. Recycle Right’s Find My Nearest search function allows users to search for e-waste drop-off locations by material type and distance.
To be classified as a significant entity, do the 200 employees have to be full-time equivalent (FTE) working predominantly within WA?
Show moreYes. For a business entity, the number of employees includes all FTE employees working predominantly within WA in any related bodies corporate under the Corporations Act 2001 (Commonwealth).
For a public entity, the number of employees includes all FTE employees working predominantly within WA in either an agency or organisation as defined in the Public Sector Management Act 1994 s.3(1), or a local government or regional local government.
The Regulations place obligations on large businesses and public entities as key stakeholders that are responsible for high volumes of e-waste generation in WA.
Are individual public schools, hospitals and prisons considered public entities under the Regulations, or are they considered collectively as one large public entity under the departments that manage them, and therefore significant entities?
Show moreEach individual public school and public hospital is considered a public entity in its own right under the Regulations. This means that only the facilities that have more than 200 FTE or generate more than five (5) tonnes of regulated e-waste in a financial year would be considered significant entities under the Regulations and have recordkeeping obligations.
Individual prisons are part of the Department of Justice, so are one large public entity. This means that all prisons are thought of collectively as one significant entity that has recordkeeping obligations.
What premises licensed under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 does the ban affect?
Show moreAny licensed prescribed premises under Part V of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) (EP Act) that receives and manages regulated e-waste is captured by the Regulations and is required to report annually, with submission of the first annual return due by 1 October 2025, for the preceding financial year.
Refer to the E-waste ban – Reporting requirements of e-waste service providers fact sheet, which provides further information on this topic including the typical categories of prescribed premises that are captured under the ban. Any e-waste licensing queries should be directed to info@dwer.wa.gov.au.
Are Part V EP Act Category 89 landfill prescribed premises captured by the Regulations?
Show moreYes, the Regulations apply to Part V EP Act Category 89 landfill registrations.
Is there a recordkeeping template for significant entities to record the weight of regulated e-waste?
Show moreYes, this form can be used by significant entities to meet their recordkeeping obligations under r.13 of the Regulations: E-waste ban – Significant entity recordkeeping form. The template can also be used by licensed e-waste service providers to assist with recordkeeping for reporting.
Can I start dismantling regulated e-waste items such as lighting and lamps to remove non-recyclable components before sending them for e-waste recycling if it is cheaper for me? Is this allowed under the Regulations?
Show moreUsing the lighting and lamps example, the whole light/lamp/fixture/fitting object is considered regulated e-waste, all parts inclusive. However, if an item does contain non-recyclable components, these can be separated and sent to landfill as residual waste, which is an exception to the e-waste ban.
Please note, e-waste service providers must ensure they are still complying with r.9(4) of the Regulations, requiring maximum recovery of processed materials and minimisation of residual waste generated from regulated e-waste.
Evidence of recovery arrangements for e-waste can be demonstrated by receipts/invoices from a compliant downstream vendor or processor of materials recovered from e-waste.
If a licensed e-waste service provider starts dismantling regulated e-waste, then the weights of processed materials and residual waste produced by the provider must be recorded and reported in accordance with r.11 of the Regulations.
Are bulk verge collections provided by local governments exempt from the Regulations?
Show moreVerge collections provided by local governments are not exempt from the e-waste ban.
If the local government is collecting regulated e-waste, it is expected to communicate to residents that e-waste should be separated out from other waste types on the verge. If necessary, regulated e-waste items can be transported in the same collection truck as other waste types; however, the regulated e-waste must be separated from other waste types before being transferred to another e-waste service provider.
When transporting regulated e-waste, consideration should be given to r.9(3) of the Regulations, which requires an e-waste service provider to not do anything that would reduce the ability of the regulated e-waste from being treated, processed or recycled.
Do whitegoods such as washing machines, fridges, etc., which are currently managed as scrap metal, now need to be separated/stored and reported separately?
Show moreWhitegoods classify as regulated e-waste, in the large appliances category. Large appliances do not need to be stored separately to other scrap metal, provided that this does not reduce the ability of the e-waste to be treated, processed or recycled.
At facilities licensed under the EP Act, the total weight of each regulated e-waste category collected must be recorded in accordance with the recordkeeping requirements outlined at r.11 of the Regulations. The weight of large appliances can also be estimated by using our E-waste ban – Estimating the weight of e‑waste fact sheet.
How should regulated e-waste be stored?
Show moreStorage requirements for regulated e-waste depend on the type of regulated e-waste and the end use of the item. If regulated e-waste is destined for repair or refurbishment, the highest level of care will need to be taken to ensure physical integrity is maintained for maximum reuse potential.
If the regulated e-waste is destined for recycling, then in accordance with r.9(3) of the Regulations, e-waste service providers must not do anything that would reduce the ability of the regulated e-waste to be treated, processed or recycled.
Australian Standard 5377:2022 (Management of electrical and electronic equipment for re-use or recycling) provides further guidance on storage requirements and notes that storage infrastructure for e-waste that contains substances of concern should include impermeable surfaces, weatherproof coverings, stormwater controls and separation from other material streams. Appendix C of the Australian Standard 5377:2022 provides general guidance on recovery for reuse.
If regulated e-waste is being stored at a facility licensed under the EP Act, storage must be in accordance with the licence conditions.
How should regulated e-waste be transported?
Show moreThe Australian Standard 5377:2022 provides guidance on transport requirements. Section 5.3 of the Australian Standard 5377: 2022 notes transporting requirements for e-waste destined for reuse.
During transport, the integrity of regulated e-waste can be maintained and breakages minimised by using caged areas for e-waste collection and/or appropriate packaging or loading and handling equipment. At a minimum, e-waste loads should be secured before transport to minimise damage or breakage.
There are additional requirements for packing and transporting lithium batteries. See Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail.
How can I obtain a copy of Australian Standard 5377:2022?
Show moreAustralian Standard 5377:2022 provides guidance on management and transport of e-waste.
The standard can be purchased from Standards Australia.
A copy of the AS 5377:2022 can be viewed free of charge at our head office at 8 Davidson Terrace, Joondalup, between 8.30am and 5.00pm on weekdays. Australian Standard 5377:2022 is copyright to Standards Australia and, accordingly, extracts cannot be copied, emailed or photocopied or photographed.
If e-waste is mixed in with other waste in a commercial skip bin received at a landfill, is there an obligation on the landfill operator to identify the regulated e-waste within the load?
Show moreThe intent and scope of the Regulations does not include incidental capture of small amounts or single items of regulated e-waste mixed into collection skips or kerbside bins, with defences noted in r.8(6) of the Regulations. For example, there is no expectation for staff to take on the risk and time of sifting through a truckload or container-load of waste to pull out a single microwave oven or a small number of light fixtures that have been discarded in collection bins, if it was not known or could not have been reasonably known, that the items were there.
Are creative assets available for use to promote correct e-waste disposal methods and behaviour change?
Show moreEducation resources are available via our WasteSorted campaign. Campaign assets include videos, radio ads, social media content and web banners available for use by local governments, regional councils and other stakeholders.
Relevant e-waste campaign toolkits are linked below.
We encourage stakeholders to co-brand these assets or integrate elements of the campaign into their own specialised waste recycling messages. For any modifications to the creative assets, please contact our WasteSorted team at info@wastesorted.wa.gov.au.
