Electrical waste recycling trial rolls out across Queensland wholesalers
The pilot will introduce separate recycling bins for assembled electrical products (such as switches, power points, dimmers and sensors), switch and socket skins, and battery-operated photoelectric smoke alarms. The bins will be located at participating CNW Electrical branches, allowing electricians to drop off eligible waste during their regular wholesaler visits.
The program responds to uncertainty within the industry about how electrical waste should be handled and appropriately disposed. A Clipsal survey found 40 per cent of electricians were unsure whether they were disposing of waste correctly.
The issue sits within a wider national waste challenge. In 2023 Australia, generated about 580,000 tonnes of e-waste annually, equivalent to approximately 22 kilograms per person, compared with a global average of 7.8 kilograms.
Recycling built into the working day
The pilot is being delivered in partnership with TerraCycle, an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, including developing recycling solutions for waste streams that are not commonly accepted through kerbside recycling.
TerraCycle will provide and service the recycling bins, collect returned products, transport the material for sorting into separate waste streams and then recycle it into raw materials that manufacturers use to make new products. The partnership is intended to give electricians a clearer pathway for products and components that may otherwise be placed in general waste.
The pilot will allow Clipsal, CNW Electrical and TerraCycle to assess how the collection recycling model works in practice, including the types and volumes of products returned.
Clipsal CEO Chris Kerr said locating the bins at electrical wholesalers was intended to make recycling more practical.
“Electricians regularly remove switches, sockets, smoke alarms and other electrical products from homes and commercial sites, but the correct disposal pathway is not always obvious,” Kerr said.
“By placing dedicated bins at wholesalers, we are putting the recycling option somewhere electricians already visit as part of their working day.”
Three waste streams included in the pilot
Participating branches will have three dedicated recycling boxes accepting the following:
- Assembled electrical products (e.g. switches, power points, dimmers and sensors)
- Switch and socket skins
- Battery-operated smoke alarms (excluding ionisation and radioactive types)
“This trial will give us a clearer picture of how electricians use the service and what is needed to make electrical waste collection work at a larger scale,” Kerr said.
“Improving e-waste recycling requires practical action across the industry, from manufacturers and wholesalers through to the electricians handling products at the end of their working life.”
Part of Clipsal’s wider sustainability efforts
The trial is one of the first initiatives under Clipsal’s new sustainability program, built around the principle of “Better Together”.
Clipsal’s ‘Better Together’ recognises that manufacturers, wholesalers, electricians, builders and designers each have a role in improving sustainability across the electrical industry.
Clipsal is backed by Schneider Electric, a global energy technology company. The initiative combines Schneider Electric’s wider sustainability experience with Clipsal’s knowledge of the Australian residential and light-commercial electrical market.
The e-waste recycling program pilot commenced August 17.