Starting next Monday, the Virginia ban on e-waste will take effect. (photo No. 7)
According to Radio 7, there will be a big change in what Virginia residents can throw into trash cans from next Monday.
Victoria's government is reported to have imposed an e-waste ban on landfills, which will take effect next Monday. The law aims to solve the growing problem of e-waste, which means that residents can no longer simply deal with some household goods.
Electronic items, including discarded kettles, electric toothbrushes, straighteners, mobile phones, laptops, etc., need to be sent to designated disposal points.
On the question of what can't be thrown into a trash can, Palo (Katie Pahlow) of (Sustainability Victoria), a Virginia sustainable development agency, says a simple way to distinguish is that items with plugs, batteries or wires cannot be thrown into the trash can. From electric toothbrushes, hairdryer or battery toys to refrigerators, microwave ovens, vacuum cleaners, etc.
The ban covers all electrical equipment, including increasingly common items in the home, mobile phones, televisions, large household appliances, etc.
Prior to the reforms, Victoria government invested more than A $15 million in infrastructure. 98% of residents in metropolitan areas can find e-waste disposal points within 20 minutes' drive.
According to (Environmental Protection Authority Victoria), a Virginia environmental protection agency, e-waste in Australia is growing three times faster than ordinary municipal solid waste (MSW).
This has become a problem affecting Australia as a whole. If effective measures are not taken to control, Australia's e-waste will increase from about 138000 tons in 2012-13 to 223000 tons in 2023-23.