Young Aussie kids encouraged to spread the e-waste recycling message to the nation.

The average Australian household has approximately 17 electronic devices in the home and yet only 23% of us are always recycling them.

With the consumption of electronic devices getting higher all the time, it’s crucial consumers look at e-waste recycling as the natural next step in the product lifecycle, especially when it no longer serves its purpose to them.

Almost half of us are holding onto unused or broken electronic devices in case we need them again one day (43%).

TechCollect is calling for primary and secondary students across Australia to help spread the e-waste recycling message.

In Australia, e-waste continues to be a rapidly growing stream. As our hunger for new electronic devices continues to grow, we need to ensure young Australians are aware of the importance of responsibly recycling old electronic devices and that the practice becomes second nature in every household.

TechCollect truly believes every young Australian has a role to play in making a difference to our environment. Recycling e-waste ensures our old and unused devices don’t end up in landfill, which can have a devastating effect on the environment and deny us the opportunity to reuse those valuable resources in new products.

This is about protecting our future. We encourage kids to spread the word and remind older generations why responsible recycling of e-waste is so important.

Parents can play a vital role too.  We encourage them to take the time to teach their kids how to recycle e-waste. This active role in the education process will help children understand the benefits of recycling old or unused devices.

Taking e-waste to a designated drop-off site ensures materials that can be harmful to both people and the environment if put in landfill, are correctly recovered or disposed of. Unfortunately, people who are putting the product on the kerbside or in the bin may feel they’re doing the right thing, but this doesn’t guarantee the product won’t still end up in landfill.

Tips for kids to get involved and recycle those unwanted cables:

• Take a look around your house for old, unused electronics.
• Turn it into a fun game! Why not put on music and compare what you find with friends?
• Wipe data, say goodbye, perform any farewell ceremonies.
• Find out what TechCollect takes here.
• Find your nearest TechCollect site here.
• Drop off your unwanted e-waste for free.
• Enter the Young E-Waste Hero competition here to win $1000 JB-Hi Fi gift voucher
• Feel good that you did something positive for the planet.
• Enjoy your new, de-cluttered life.

Guilty! *blush* I think we have 3x old computers and numerous old mobile phones laying around the house somewhere.

Are you guilty of not disposing of old devices?

Share your comments below.