E waste

It's not always easy in Stonnington to dispose of e-waste in an "environmentally-friendly" manner.  Sure, you can put in the hard waste collection but for those of us who would like to do the "right thing", you have to watch out for the occasional day at the Council depot and then make an appointment ahead of time.

 



But a day was notified, I saw the notice, and I made an appointment.    Then the reason for the rarity of the opportunity emerged:   the way Stonnington handles the disposal of old computer equipment is highly labour-intensive.     As you arrive, the first person checks your name off, then the next person conducts a survey of what you have.  You're then directed to parking area, where a team of people descend on your car and quickly assist you to empty it.  I suppose it's all about making sure that the old stuff goes into the correct bin.  However, it does seem to me that ratepayers funds could be conserved - perhaps d-i-y disposal into appropriate bins with just a single council employee supervising?
 

I had thought that neighbouring Boroondara provided a better service, and indeed it is the case that you can take your e-waste over to their depot.  On closer examination, I see that the e-waste component of Boroondara's service is actually part of a national scheme, so although Boroondara apparently provide the facility, it's not limited to residents of that area - see http://www.resourcesmart.vic.gov.au/for_households_1967.html.