E-waste refers to all old technology that fills offices, homes, garages and landfill across the country. It may be technology that is no longer working, or is old and obsolete. As it breaks down, it can leach dangerous toxins which contaminate our environment.
According to the Department of Sustainability, the volume of e-waste in Australia is growing three times faster than other type of waste. Like other small businesses, general practices need to ensure e-waste is discarded and recycled in a responsible way.
Before recycling or giving away any of your practice electronic equipment, ensure you remove all data from the device, including personal details of patients and information about your practice. Simply deleting files from computers and other equipment is not enough, as data remains buried on the hard drive.
Read more about guides to e-waste recycling, and options for discarding of e-waste on the RACGP website.
