Australia cracks down on computer waste

He says that the sector has failed to develop strategies for the disposal of obsolete computers despite warnings last year that the waste was an environmental hazard, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Old computer components generate more than 5 000 tonnes of waster each year, which ends up in landfill sites and can release toxic substances. The Department of Environment and Conservation is to look at schemes in other countries to determine how to force manufacturers to find recycling solutions. Debus said the computer industry was lagging behind manufacturers of other goods, such as televisions and tyres, which have begun to develop recycling schemes. Full report in the Sydney Morning Herald