E-waste in Brisbane

• Reduce – How many e-products do you have at home? How much money could your household save by not buying a new device or upgrading a phone?
• Borrow, hire or share e-products.
  • Visit the Brisbane Tool Library to borrow power tools and other equipment instead of buying new.
  • Rent or hire e-products such as televisions, computers and washing machines instead of buying new.
  • Check if you can borrow gadgets, tools, or other equipment from family, friends or neighbours before buying new products.
• Use e-products longer. Reduce the number of devices ending up as e-waste too soon by decreasing your need for new devices. Resist upgrading by considering alternatives such as getting a pre-paid sim when your phone plan ends. This simple option can extend the life of your phone and save you money on a new phone plan.
• Extend the life of e-products by:
  • shutting down your devices
  • unplugging chargers once devices are charged
  • turning off appliances at the wall when they are not in use
  • storing products in accordance with instructions
  • protecting devices in transit
  • servicing and cleaning products regularly.
• Shop smart by:
  • Using the Cloud for storing data, reducing the need for storage devices[CB1][MA2] . Remember that storing data still has environmental impacts so consider what you’re storing and if you really need it.
  • Buying less ('less is more' philosophy). If you need to buy new, choose high quality, versatile products over cheap options that won't last long. By buying second-hand, you can often find high quality products at lower prices.
  • Buying Australian made. Where possible support Australian-made e-products to limit greenhouse gas emissions from imported products. Australian-made products will have more local service and repair outlets.
  • Buying energy-efficient appliances. They might have a higher upfront purchase price, but their operating costs are often 9-25% lower than conventional models. 
  • Check an item’s repairability before purchase. Some products are very expensive to repair while others have been designed to make repairs cheaper.
• Checking certification labels. Look for environmental standards labels:
  • EPEAT eco-label managed by Global Electronics Council
  • TCO Certified for information technology e-products
  • Energy Rating - readily identifiable label on most whitegoods and household electrical appliances
  • Check CHOICE, a non-profit organisation that supports Australian consumers to buy smarter.

Working e-products

• Reuse your old mobile phone for playing music and/or navigation.
• Rehome e-products you no longer need to family and friends.
• Buy second-hand and refurbished working e-products from:
  • online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or eBay
  • Amazon Renewed which offers quality, refurbished products that have been inspected and tested by qualified suppliers
  • major retailers such as Dick Smith and JB Hi-Fi that offer refurbished, like-new and open-box products
  • Cash Converters or local op shops
  • Australian Computer Traders for refurbished ex-government computers and other information technology products
  • Substation 33 social enterprise in Kingston.
• Sell working e-products to Cash Converters.
• Trade in your Apple device for credit towards a future purchase.
• Donate e-products online via Freecycle, Buy Nothing, or Facebook Marketplace. Alternatively, donate them to a local op shop if they accept electrical items.
• Donate e-products to Computers 4 Learning in Banyo where computers are refurbished by volunteers for low-cost resale.
• Contact the Australian Repair Network.

E-products needing repair

• Contact the manufacturer or the purchase store to obtain advice on repair.
• Learn to fix e-products at iFixit.
• Visit a repair cafe for minor repairs and advice.
• Visit a computer or mobile phone repairer at your local shopping centre.