Byteback & VECCI SOHO e-waste Recycling Program

Clear some space at home or in your office… and help the environment at the same time!

Do you have old computers and printers taking up valuable space at home or in your office?

Did you know that the Byteback e-waste recycling program can help you to reclaim space at home or in the office by recycling your old computers and IT equipment – and you can make a positive difference for the environment at the same time!

So, what is Byteback™?

Byteback™ is a free computer recycling program which has been developed to help people dispose of end-of-life computer equipment, or equipment that has reached the end of its useful life, in an environmentally responsible manner.

Victorian families and small businesses are welcome to contribute to Byteback™ by depositing their end-of-life computer equipment at one of the Byteback™ locations throughout Victoria.

All equipment deposited at a Byteback site is collected by a responsible contractor and is then processed in Australia to recover useful components for recycling.

What can you take to Byteback™?

You can take up to 10 items per visit to a Byteback collection facility, including desktops, laptops, scanners, monitors and printers.

The program also accepts peripherals such as computer mice, ,keyboards, computer power supplies, printed circuit boards, motherboards, network cards, disk and CD drives.

Those items not accepted by Byteback™ include joysticks, game consoles, electronic games, software, digital cameras, electronic equipment, TVs, videos, hi-fi equipment, mobile phones, printer cartridges and copiers.

If your computer equipment is simply out of date, but it still functions well, you could consider donating it to a charity or an equipment refurbisher.

However, make sure that the equipment you are passing on to others is going to be useful. There must be a reason why you upgraded? There is no point passing on your problem, ‘outdated equipment’ to someone else if it will be of little use to them..

Why should I recycle my old computer equipment?

Australians are great users of computers and as a result we generate considerable amounts of end-of-life computer equipment.

Research undertaken in 2005 estimates that there are approximately 14 million computer and related peripherals items in Victorian households. In the order of 11 per cent of these items are either not in use or do not work and as

such, are candidates for recycling.

The metals used in computers and related products are mined from the earth’s crust and the plastics are derived from petroleum. These resources are finite, that is, there are limited amounts of them that can be extracted. However, these materials can be recycled into new products.

Precious metals, such as lead, aluminium, nickel, mercury, cadmium and lithium are separated and can be recycled again and again.

Recycling these materials to make new products often uses less energy and makes better use of our material resources. It also leaves more virgin materials in the ground for future generations.

Did you know?

Every tonne of e-waste that is recycled has the potential to save five tonnes of carbon. Re-using plastics, precious metals and other commodities that are energy intensive to extract - and make - has an immediate benefit to the environment. Keeping these products out of landfill also benefits the environment.

How does Byteback™ help reduce pollution and protect the environment?

Computer monitors and screens have a high lead content. Keyboards, printers, scanners, printed circuit boards and hard drives can also contain a range of chemicals and materials that are harmful to the environment.

These chemicals and materials pose no threat while they are contained within equipment, however, if they are disposed of in landfill or dumped, they can eventually leach into nearby waterways and the environment.

Byteback™ reduces this risk by ensuring that unwanted computers and related equipment are kept out of landfill and are broken down safely and

responsibly for recycling.

In a nutshell…

Recycling e-waste prevents pollution and saves carbon emissions
Recycling e-waste enables the recovery of precious minerals and resources
Recycling e-waste reduces the amount of minerals and other resources that
need to be mined in order to produce new IT equipment
Recycling e-waste helps to clear up your home or office space

What should you do before you take your computer to Byteback™?

Save or delete any important documents or files.
Always observe safe lifting procedures when lifting heavy computer
equipment. This means using your leg muscles, not your back.

Before moving equipment, ensure that there is no broken glass or sharp,
protruding objects.
When transporting your old equipment, make sure that it is packed safely
and closely together. Ensure that screens and monitors are not packed
face-down.
Use padding or old blankets to reduce the chance of breakages en route.

Where can you find a Byteback™ site?

You can take your old computer equipment to the following Byteback™ sites for recycling.

Anglesea Landfill & Transfer Station

Coalmine Road, Anglesea (1/2km west of the Surf Coast Hwy).

Ballarat Officeworks

116 Creswick Road, Ballarat.