May 2008 Cover Story

Thiess now employ twelve people at the e-recycling facility where e-waste is received and dismantled through a combination of manual and automated means to yield basic components for further sorting and processing.

Recent contracts include the Newcastle Permanent Building Society and Hydro Aluminium, and the University of Newcastle’s campuses in Newcastle and Ourimbah. A recent big win is the contract to remove old computers from schools throughout NSW. Virtually any electronic device that at some stage has had a power cord attached to it is processed, with approximately 95-98 per cent of products being recycled.

Traditionally, superseded electronic equipment is stored in warehouses due to its perceived value, but eventually it is disposed of as landfill. Companies are discovering that this redundant equipment loses value very quickly, and becomes a cost due to the large amount of storage space required. In NSW alone 5,000 tonnes of computers and 5,000-15,000 tonnes of televisions are disposed of in landfill every year. More than five million computers sit idle in warehouses.

Thiess Services Regional Manager and Wyong resident Tony Calleja said recycling electronic equipment that is no longer used or has become obsolete makes good environmental and economic sense. By clearing out rather than holding onto items that are never going to be used again companies can certainly reduce their environmental footprint.

When required, the facility ensures complete destruction of hardware, up to and including the physical shredding of hard drives, and the provision of certificates of destruction. Parts and commodities that are recoverable are forwarded to end users throughout Australia and internationally for use as raw product in other recycling and manufacturing processes.

Thiess Services is able to provide complete collection services of all e-waste. Staff can visit and inspect client’s premises and create a tailor made collection service. This can include the distribution of collection cages to clients, or bins up to 32 cubic metres. Unfortunately current legislation in NSW allows e-waste to be disposed of legally to landfill. In 2005 the ACT adopted a no waste to landfill policy. As a result Thiess Services e-waste receives this material from the ACT for recycling and processing. Environmental groups are currently lobbying other states to follow the ACT’s lead to dispose of e-waste in an environmentally responsible manner.

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