What constitutes e-waste?
E-waste is any electrical item with a plug, battery or cord that is at the end of its useful life.” (And yes, we recycle cords and cables too.) You can watch our fun educational video explaining What is e-waste.
Where can I take my old electronics to be recycled?
There are multiple free drop-off locations. You can search for your nearest location on our webpage. Televisions, computers and IT equipment can be recycled FREE of charge as they are covered under the National Television and Computer recycling scheme. We always recommend calling your nearest drop-off location to check whether they accept your item.
What happens when you collect my unwanted items?
We operate our own local e-waste recycling facility in Welshpool, one of only a few in Perth to be recognised nationally with ISO 14001 accreditation – the international standard for safe disposal of electronic waste.
Once your IT equipment is collected, it is transported to our recycling facility, where we carefully sort and separate materials and metals for recycling, to be used again for future manufacturing processes. Units and components that are still functional are resold and reused as second-hand parts.
You can watch the recycling process in this video What does the process of recycling e-waste look like.
How much is it going to cost me to recycle my computer or laptop?
Items such as televisions, laptops, computers and computer peripherals are recycled free of charge. You can learn why are some items not covered by the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme in the video below.
Do you recycle small household kitchen appliances such as toasters, hand-held mixers etc.?
Yes, we recycle all electronic devices. As these items are not covered under the National Television and Recycling Scheme, they attract a small fee to cover our costs. It’s about $5 for a common item depending on size and type.
We always recommend calling your nearest drop-off location to check whether they accept your item. If not, you can also drop them off to us. Just let us know first, please. (We really don’t appreciate random drop-offs.)
How do I know someone won’t steal my data from my old computer, laptop or mobile phone?
If you drop your unwanted items in one of the free drop-off locations around WA, your data is your responsibility. Please make sure you have erased all data before you drop it off at a public drop-off location.
If you’d like us to erase/destroy your data for you, please fill in our free quote form or give us a call. We provide two options for Data Destruction:
- Certified Blancco data wiping service – $10.00 per device (inc GST)
- Certified hard drive shredding – $20.00 per device (inc GST)
For businesses with larger volumes of hard drives or mobile devices that require data destruction services, please contact us for a competitive quote.
Is there a fee for destroying hard drives?
Firstly, let’s just say we don’t recommend destroying hard drives. Drilling holes through them is not cool, not to mention unnecessary. We use the latest technology from Blancco to remove your data securely and provide you with a certificate of the work done.
Destroying of hard drives is included at no cost for any selected Blancco erase service. If Blancco cannot completely erase all data then we will shred the hard drive for you at no additional cost.
Do you supply a bin for e-waste? Do you collect them when they’re full?
It depends on the purpose, location, type of e-waste, size of your space… In some cases, we provide lockable cages for reusable IT equipment, in others, large bins for mixed e-waste collection and drop-off.
Please send us an email describing your exact needs and we will get back to you with the best solution available.
Can I come for a tour of your recycling facility?
Yes! We are excited to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the WA Waste Authority and will be announcing new tour dates soon. Please follow us on Social media and subscribe to our newsletter to catch the date announcement.
Please note, potential business clients, circular economy partners, councils and interest groups are encouraged to get in touch with us via email. Please find the list of current tours available on our website.
My kids would like to learn more about e-waste recycling. Do you have a workplace learning program?
Yes, we do! The goal of the Workplace learning program is to provide students with an opportunity to gain practical work experience, working in a professional environment. We are expanding the program and we are openly inviting more schools to come to participate and help us recycle e-waste.
If you or your school would like to get involved in the program please fill a form on this page.
I have an old laptop/computer and would like to upcycle it. Can you help?
Absolutely, here at Total Green, we are doing our best to ensure we maximise the recovery of working equipment before we recycle it. If it can be repaired or refurbished, we can upgrade the hard drive, replace or upgrade the RAM, fix broken screens, replace keyboards, etc. Our aim is to give as many computers as possible a second life before they ultimately meet their fate at the jaws of our shredders.
Did you know that refurbishing and re-using computers can be up to 25 times better for the environment than recycling them for raw materials? This is due to the very energy-intensive methods of raw material extraction and refining that happen before the manufacturing process begins.
By extending the life of a used computer by 2 years we can effectively save the entire environmental cost of producing a new computer. This makes great sense for the environment and also great sense for the economically savvy consumer. As second-hand computers are often available for less than 50% of the cost of a new one.
I have a lot of old IT equipment I need to get rid off. Can I donate them to you?
Absolutely! We work with a range of local and international charities so if you have a surplus of IT that you would like to see go to those that really need it instead of sending into the shredder please contact us for a free service appraisal to determine if your equipment may be suitable for donation.
I’d like to volunteer, how can I get involved?
Volunteering is a great way to make an impact! From time to time we have a need for volunteers to help us with events and such. If you’d like to get involved please feel free to reach out to us.