27 May 2008

Lioncom Launches Canberra Green Day

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Lioncom Launches Canberra Green Day Offerings

Free PC Recycling for the 13th and 14th of June 2008

Local initiative tackling growing e-Waste problem.

 

Canberra’s first technology recycling company (service established year 2000) is holding a free PC Recycling Day on the 13th and 14th of June 2008 for the Canberra community. Visitors to Lioncom in Fyshwick on the 14th of June 2008 will be able to drop off their unwanted and excess computer equipment at no further cost. Canberra business and government departments are also encourage to take advantage of the Lioncom offer with Friday the 13th of June 2008 available exclusively for the Canberra business community.

Unwanted computers and electronic goods are one of the fastest-growing types of waste in the world (five times normal waste rates) and is likely to reach 40 million tonnes a year. It is estimated that there are more that nine million computers, five million printers and two million scanners in Australian households and businesses. Over the next few years millions of computers will be turned off and disposed. It is imperative that we protect our local environment by ensuring all e-Waste is disposed off correctly.

PCs contain materials like metal, glass and plastic which can be recycled and reused. Computers harbour noxious chemicals and heavy metals that can leech into the environment if not recycled correctly. CRT computer monitors can include up to a kilogram of lead, while batteries are loaded with cadmium.

Sealed up, the devices are safe. But once thrown away and left to rot in landfill, chemicals and heavy metals can leech out into groundwater, posing serious health risks. Sufficient exposure to lead alone can damage the central nervous system – particularly in children – causing long term blood disorders and mental retardation.

Taking advantage of the Free PC Recycling Day

Simply drop off surplus computer equipment at the Fyshwick Collection Centre, located at 8 Pirie St, Fyshwick.

For Businesses and Government Departments:

  • Friday, 13th June 2008, 9:00am – 5:00pm

For General Public:

  • Saturday, 14th June 2008, 9:00am – 5:00pm

For further information:

Ph. 02 6239 3444

Fax. 02 6239 3445

Email. disposals@lioncom.com.au

Web. www.lioncom.com.au

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Good on you lioncom! We’ve actually used them before and they are great.

For those interested, I posted up some details about options of recycling options in Canberra (particularly for bulk loads) on my blog some weeks ago: http://www.ruthellison.com/2008/03/29/computer-recycling-and-disposal-in-canberra/

Felix the Cat said :

I thought there is/was a business or charity in Charnwood that was recyling/rebuilding computers?

there is, but they actually charge money to collect, and won’t take non-operational computers. more info at http://www.charitycomputers.com.au

I tried to use them for a couple of disposals the company I was working at had at the time, but they weren’t interested. The catholic education office took them instead.

RuffnReady said :

If I was environmental dictator, the manufacturer would be made legally and financially responsible for disposal – that way they’d build things that can be REPAIRED rather than just discarded, and they’d use less toxic materials or have to pay for their correct disposal.

I’d like to see them try and repair my old P166 sitting in the cupboard, It would be extremely useful for me??

Technology changes, almost everything we use is unlikely to be useful forever, and it’s going to be trashed at some point. Programmes like this should be run for almost everything we use and it should be free, as the companies who are taking the equipment do actually make money from the parts once they’ve melted them down etc. The computer in the cupboard will finally be going to heaven.

Felix the Cat8:41 pm 27 May 08

I thought there is/was a business or charity in Charnwood that was recyling/rebuilding computers?

It’s a shame people can’t scavenge at the dump. There’s so much good stuff gets chucked out, because let’s face it, it’s easier for the average person to just put it in the skinny green bin than to take stuff to some special place. They have sorters at the recycling facility…. need some sorters where the garbage trucks empty their loads.

caf said :

RuffnReady: Pretty sure a scheme like that is already in place in Europe.

Yup. Our governments seem to have a lot more trouble standing up to industry than Euro govts though… hell, we can’t even phase out plastic bags or bring in a national bottle deposit scheme (like SA)!

Also, in Norway, if you buy new batteries without returning your old ones (which are collected by retailers and recycled properly), you are hit with a sizeable surcharge, which is a great idea given the toxicity of batteries.

RuffnReady: Pretty sure a scheme like that is already in place in Europe.

Lioncom have done this before – perhaps it’s semi-regular? Dell hosted a similar day late last year at the ANU that was utterly inundated by 10am.

Meanwhile, what of the ACT government NoWaste 2010 strategy? There solution is to charge a fortune to drop stuff at the resource centre, thereby encouraging people to jam crap in their wheely bins. Clever stuff!

People throw so much reusable/recyclable stuff into landfill… it really makes me sick.

We should have proper processes for all appliance/furniture/e-waste disposal, but most people don’t care. They don’t realise that the things they are throwing away into landfill are often full of useful materials and toxic materials.

If I was environmental dictator, the manufacturer would be made legally and financially responsible for disposal – that way they’d build things that can be REPAIRED rather than just discarded, and they’d use less toxic materials or have to pay for their correct disposal.

Nice one Lioncom!

I’m glad this service exists, and I hope that people use it. I can’t help but wonder what the fee might be after the “free” intro ends to dump one of the previously mentioned crappy 14inch CRT, because I’m sure people just stuff them into their household waste bin.

Vic Bitterman11:24 am 27 May 08

Kudos to Lioncom for this. I imagine they will get innundated with crappy old 14, 15 and 17 inch monitors which the govmint charges a mint to dispose of in the tip!

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