Electrical waste (e-waste)

Electrical waste or e-waste is any item with a cord, battery or switch.

With constant changes in technology, we often have numerous electronic gadgets, many of which will only last a few years.

Examples of e-waste include:

• entertainment equipment - TVs, VCR and DVD players, remote controls, cameras, game consoles, stereos, speakers.
• computers, monitors, hard drives, mice, keyboards, printers, scanners, and other computer peripherals.
• small household appliances - vacuum cleaners, hairdryers, irons, toasters, microwaves, electric toothbrushes.
• electrical tools and electronic devices - drills, electric mowers, sewing machines, solar garden lights.
• mobile phones, smart watches, earphones.

E-Waste is the fastest growing waste stream in Australia and contains many toxic substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium and lithium. In landfill, e-waste leaches these hazardous substances into the soil and water which can lead to health and environmental problems.

E-waste items containing batteries are a major fire risk and should never be placed in any of your bins at home.

For disposal, you must either place it out with hard waste for collection or take it to an e-waste recycler (details below).

Sending e-waste to landfill wastes non-renewable resources, including precious metals, glass and plastic. Extraction of these elements gives them a second life. About 90% of e-waste components are recycled.

Some e-waste items will be accepted free of charge, while fees may apply for some items. This can vary at different sites.

Please note, some sites only accept televisions and computers as part of the Federal Government's National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme. It is best to check with the recycler directly if you are unsure about possible fees.

Nearby e-waste drop-off locations include:

RE-CO
59 Oaklands Road, Somerton Park SA 5044
Open Open Monday to Friday 8.30am-5pm, Saturday 8.30am-2pm and Sunday 10am-2pm.
All e-waste accepted free of charge for recycling.

Adelaide Waste and Recycling Centre 
181 Morphett Road, North Plympton SA 5037
Open Monday to Friday 7am-4pm, Saturday 8am-3pm and Sunday 10am-3pm.
Free disposal of TVs, computers and computer peripherals. Fees apply for all other e-waste.

Harvey Norman (TVs, computers and printer cartridges) 
822-826 Marion Road, Marion SA 5043
Phone 8375 7777
Open weekdays 9am-5:30pm, 9am-9pm Thursday.
E-waste recycling temporarily unavailable due to store renovations. Relocated to their Adelaide Airport warehouse until end of 2025.

Officeworks 
Various locations accept a range of computer-related e-waste items free of charge.
Please visit the Officeworks website for further details.

Advanced Recycling Technologies (ART) 
3/13 Chrysler Road, Lonsdale SA 5160
Open Friday 8:30am-4:30pm. Saturday 9am-12 noon. Other days available by appointment.
Please contact ART prior to dropping off items.

Other free drop-off options can be found by searching online for the nearest Unplug N' Drop e-waste collection points.

Broken household electrical appliances such as vacuum cleaners, hairdryers, kettles, fridges, washing machines, leaf blowers and lawn mowers can be booked into a hard waste collection. All e-waste collected in hard rubbish is separated for recycling. Visit our Hard waste collections webpage to book a hard rubbish collection or tip ticket.

Light globes, mobile phones & batteries

More information about recycling light globes, mobile phones and batteries can be found on our Other Waste webpage.