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What Is E-Waste?

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What Is E-Waste?
E-waste is any electrical or electronic equipment that is unwanted, obsolete, damaged or no longer useful. It includes equipment that is discarded, stored for disposal, replaced during an upgrade or sent for recycling. As technology changes quickly, businesses and households are generating more e-waste than ever. Computers are replaced, phones are upgraded, servers are decommissioned and office equipment reaches the end of its working life. When these items are managed responsibly, valuable materials can be recovered and reused. When they are sent to landfill or handled incorrectly, they can create environmental and data-security risks.

What Is E-Waste?

Understanding Electronic Waste

What Counts as E-Waste?

  • E-waste includes a wide range of electrical and electronic products, including:
  • Computers and laptops
  • Servers and data-centre equipment
  • Monitors and screens
  • Printers, scanners and photocopiers
  • Mobile phones and tablets
  • Telecommunications equipment
  • Networking equipment
  • Keyboards, mice and other peripherals
  • Circuit boards
  • Power supplies and chargers
  • Cables and electrical components
  • Audio and visual equipment
  • Small electrical appliances
  • Commercial and industrial electronic equipment
  • If an item uses electricity, batteries or electronic components and is no longer wanted, it may be considered e-waste.

Why Is E-Waste a Problem?

Electronic equipment contains a mixture of materials. Some are valuable and recyclable, while others require careful handling. When e-waste is sent to landfill, useful resources are lost. Certain components may also contain substances that should not be released into the environment.
Circuit Boards
Circuit Boards
  • Loss of recoverable metals and materials
  • Increased landfill volumes
  • Environmental contamination
  • Unnecessary demand for new raw materials
  • Data-security risks from discarded devices
  • Unsafe handling and informal processing

Poorly managed e-waste can contribute to:

Responsible e-waste management helps reduce these risks by keeping electronic equipment in appropriate recovery and recycling pathways.
Electronic equipment is made from a combination of materials that can often be separated and recovered.

What Is Inside E-Waste?

Copper
Copper is commonly found in cables, wiring, motors and electronic components. It is a valuable and widely recyclable metal.
Aluminium
Aluminium may be found in equipment housings, heat sinks and structural components. It can be recovered and recycled into new products.
Steel
Steel is used in computer cases, server frames, cabinets and other equipment structures. It is one of the most commonly recycled materials.
Gold
Gold is used in small quantities in connectors, contact points, circuit boards and other electronic components because it conducts electricity and resists corrosion. Specialist processing may recover gold from suitable e-waste streams.
Palladium
Palladium may be present in circuit boards, connectors, capacitors and other electronic components. It is a valuable precious metal that can be recovered through specialist downstream processing where the material and quantity make recovery suitable.
Plastics
Many electronic products contain plastic housings, fittings and components. Suitable plastics may be separated for recycling or other approved processing pathways.
Circuit Boards

Circuit Boards

Circuit boards contain a mixture of metals, including copper, gold and palladium, along with other materials. They require specialist processing to recover valuable resources. Batteries and Other Components Some equipment contains batteries, lamps, capacitors or other components that require separate handling. These items should not be placed in general waste or dismantled without appropriate controls.
E-Waste and Data Security

E-Waste and Data Security

Old computers, servers, phones, hard drives and other devices may contain confidential information. Deleting files or performing a factory reset may not be enough to protect sensitive data. Businesses should consider how data-bearing equipment will be collected, tracked and destroyed before it is recycled. A secure IT asset disposal process may include:
  • Identifying data-bearing equipment
  • Secure collection and transport
  • Asset tracking
  • Physical destruction of storage devices
  • Certificates of destruction where required
  • Separation of destroyed components for recycling
Data security and resource recovery should work together. Destroying the data does not mean the rest of the equipment has to be wasted.
How WA Urban Miners Helps

How WA Urban Miners Helps

WA Urban Miners can help businesses manage unwanted electronic equipment through:
We work with businesses to develop practical collection arrangements based on the type and volume of equipment being generated.
  • One-off e-waste collections
  • Ongoing commercial collection programs
  • Collection bins for suitable sites
  • Secure handling of data-bearing equipment
  • Physical destruction of appropriate storage media
  • Sorting and dismantling
  • Recovery of metals such as copper, gold and palladium
  • Recovery of other valuable materials
  • Documentation where required
  • Downstream recycling and recovery pathways

Frequently Asked Questions

Is e-waste the same as general waste?

No. E-waste contains electrical, electronic and sometimes data-bearing components. It should be separated from general waste and directed to an appropriate recycling or recovery service.

Can computers and servers be recycled?

Yes. Computers and servers can be dismantled and separated into materials such as steel, aluminium, copper, plastics and circuit boards. Circuit boards may also contain recoverable precious metals such as gold and palladium. Data-bearing storage devices should be securely handled before recycling.

Can old hard drives be recycled?

Yes, but any confidential data should be securely destroyed before the remaining materials are recycled.

Can businesses arrange regular e-waste collections?

Yes. WA Urban Miners can discuss ongoing collection programs and suitable bin options for businesses generating e-waste regularly.

Is all e-waste collected for free?

For commercial, industrial, mining and some retail B2B…. Yes. Collection arrangements depend on the type, quantity, location and recovery value of the material. Eligible materials with sufficient recovery value may be collected without a recycling charge. Contact us to discuss your requirements.

What happens after collection?

Materials are sorted and processed to identify recoverable components\. Suitable materials, including metals such as copper, gold and palladium, are directed into appropriate recycling and specialist recovery pathways where practical\.

Have E-Waste to Recycle?

Whether you have a one\-off load of old IT equipment or need a regular commercial e\-waste collection service, WA Urban Miners can help\.
collections@waUrbanMiners.com.au

Tell us what you have. We’ll work out the best way to recover it.

Request a Collection or Quote
08 6157 1245
0424 667 312