Everything you need to know about recycling electrical appliances
Which bin does it go in?
[Icon of recycling and garbage bin with cross through it]
The information on this page relates to electrical appliances that do not contain batteries. If you are looking for recycling information about an appliance that has an embedded battery, please visit the battery-operated electrical appliances page.
Find an electrical appliance recycler
Electrical appliances includes:
DVD Player
Headphones
Toasters
Blenders
Kettles
Microwaves
Mixer
Food processor
Stick blender
Bread maker
Rice cooker
Electric fry pan
Electric wok
Thermomix
Stereo
Deck
Tape player
VHS machine
DVD machine
Games console
Playstation
Nintendo
E-reader
HiFi
Sound system
Amplifier
Speakers
Record player
Tape Deck
DS
X-box
Wii
CD player
Landline telephone
Sandwich press
FIND A RECYCLER
Learn more about recycling electrical appliances
How to recycle electrical appliances
Electrical appliances should never be put in your recycling bin at home. At this stage, Australia does not have a national recycling scheme for all types of electrical appliances. However, there are a number of recycling companies and councils that offer e-waste recycling services, as well as organisations that recycle, refurbish or reuse electrical appliances and accessories.
Recycling options
Electrical appliances are often split into three categories: small appliances, large appliances, and electronics. There will be different recycling services available depending on the type of appliance.
Small appliances – this includes electric kettles, toasters, blenders, hair dryers, straighteners and curlers, radios, cameras, gaming consoles and controllers, DVD players, fax machines, e-readers, alarm clocks, sandwich presses and toasters, air fryers and blenders.
If your appliance is battery operated, visit the battery-operated electrical appliances page.
1. Use the directory on this page to find a recycler in your area. Always call in advance to check if the recycler will accept your electrical product – some will not accept appliances with batteries.
2. Some companies operate take-back schemes for their electrical products. The costs of these systems are generally built into the price of the product and provide a convenient avenue for electrical appliance recycling. Check with the manufacturer of your product.
3. Storage King has an e-waste box which can be purchased for a small price.
Large appliances – this includes whitegoods such as fridges, freezers, microwaves, ovens, washing machines and clothes dryers.
•Visit the whitegoods page to find a recycler in your area.
Electronics – this includes mobile phones, computers, computer accessories, televisions and batteries.
•Australia has a national recycling scheme for televisions, all kind of computers (including printers and scanners) and computer accessories. Find a recycler through the National TV and Computer Recycling Scheme.
•MobileMuster is a not-for-profit recycling scheme for mobile phones and their accessories. Find a mobile phone recycling drop-off point or pick-up service in your area.
•Australia has a national recycling scheme for batteries. Find a battery recycling drop-off point or pick-up service in your area.
Why recycle?
When electrical appliances are thrown away, they become electronic waste or e-waste, which is the fastest growing type of waste in Australia.
Electrical appliances are made up of a broad range of materials including precious metals (such as gold and platinum), toxic heavy metals, metal circuitry, mixed plastics, fire retardants and glass. When the appliance is recycled, these valuable materials stay in use, which means fewer new or ‘virgin’ materials need to be mined from the ground. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions and prevents valuable materials from going to waste in landfill.
It also protects our environment from hazardous substances that are sometimes found in electrical appliances that must be disposed of responsibly. Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic, as well as flame-retardants, can cause environmental contamination and damage if they leach into the soil in landfills and into water systems.
The Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, and Victoria have banned electronic products from landfill. If you cannot find a recycler in your area through the directory, contact your local council to find out how to dispose of your electrical products.
What happens to them?
In many kinds of electrical products, up to 95% of materials can be recovered for reuse and recycling. When they are recycled, electrical appliances are dismantled and the different components are sorted. Many of the materials including glass, copper, plastics, metals, and precious metals are recovered for further processing so they can be used to make new products.
Recycling large quantities
Businesses and workplaces with large quantities of electrical appliances to recycle can use a commercial recycler, which often have drop-off and pick-up services. To find a commercial recycling service, visit the electrical appliances page for businesses.
Reusing and repairing appliances
Reusing and repairing electrical appliances has a better environmental outcome than recycling them or throwing them away, as it keeps the materials used to make the product in use at their highest value for as long as possible.
If the product is in good working order, you can sell it via an online marketplace or donate it to a charity shop so it can be reused again.
There are some companies that offer repair services for electrical appliances, but if you would like to try repairing the product yourself, iFixit offers free repair guides for thousands of electrical and electronic devices.
Fixable is an Australian social enterprise that aims to help people repair products and promote the benefits of repair. The online community offers free advice, discussion groups, skill sharing, and a platform to find repair technicians or trade parts.
Recycling other e-waste
Batteries
Batteries can be recycled for free through Australia’s national product stewardship scheme for batteries, B-cycle.
Computers
Computers and their accessories can be recycled for free through the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme.
Mobile phones
Mobile phones can be recycled for free through MobileMuster’s recycling program.
Printer cartridges
Printer and toner cartridges can be recycled for free through the Cartridges 4 Planet Ark recycling program.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to dispose of broken electrical appliances
Electrical appliances must never be placed in your household recycling bin. As well as containing valuable materials made from finite natural resources that can be repurposed or recycled (rather than wasted), they also contain hazardous substances that can enter the environment if not handled correctly. As a result, some states including the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, and Victoria have banned electrical appliances from their landfills.
If your electrical appliance is still in good working order, you can try selling or donating it using one of the many online marketplaces in Australia such as Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace. This will ensure the product is reused, keeping the materials used to make the product in use at their highest value.
If the product is broken or too old to pass on to someone else, electrical appliances can be taken to a specialist recycler – find your nearest location via the search bar on this page. Many local councils accept electrical appliances at their waste and recycling facilities, so it is also worth checking with your local council.
How to repair electrical appliances
Repairing broken electrical appliances has a better environmental outcome than recycling them or throwing them away. Repairing the appliance will ensure the materials used to make the product are kept in use at their highest value for as long as possible.
There are some companies that offer repair services for electrical appliances, which can be found by searching Yellow Pages or Google. If you would like to try repairing the product yourself, iFixit offers free repair guides for thousands of electrical and electronic devices.
Fixable is an Australian social enterprise that aims to help people repair products and promote the benefits of repair. The online community offers free advice, discussion groups, skill sharing, and a platform to find repair technicians or trade parts.
What are electrical appliances?
Electrical appliances are often split into three categories: small appliances, large appliances, and electronics. There will be different recycling services available depending on the type of appliance.
Small appliances:
•This includes electric kettles, toasters, hair driers, straighteners and curlers, blenders, radios, cameras, DVD players, fax machines, e-readers, and alarm clocks.
•Use the information on this page to find a recycler in your area.
Large appliances:
•This includes white goods such as fridges, freezers, microwaves, ovens, washing machines, and dryers.
•Find a white goods recycler in your area.
Electronics:
•Australia has a national recycling scheme for televisions, all kind of computers (including printers and scanners), and computer accessories. Find a recycler through the National TV and Computer Recycling Scheme.
•MobileMuster is a not-for-profit recycling scheme for mobile phones and their accessories. Find a mobile phone recycling drop-off point or pick-up service in your area.
•Australia has a national recycling scheme for batteries. Find a battery recycling drop-off point or pick-up service in your area.
Where to donate electrical appliances
Electrical appliances in good working order may be able to be donated to a local charity store. Alternatively, you might like to donate them via an online marketplace such as Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace. Please note, it is illegal to dump old appliances (and other items) on the street.
If your items are not in working order (or you’re unable to donate them for reuse), you may be able to recycle them via a specialist recycler. Electrical appliances should not be placed in your household recycling or rubbish bin as they contain hazardous materials that can enter the environment if not handled correctly. Find your nearest recycler via the search bar on this page.
Why should we turn off electrical appliances?
Electrical appliances still use energy whilst they’re not in use/whilst they’re on standby. Turning them off at the wall switch reduces the amount of energy your household uses and your carbon footprint. Reducing our energy consumption can assist with reducing the impacts of climate change. Lower energy consumption also equals lower energy bills, so it’s a win-win!
Turning your appliances off when they’re not in use may extend their life, which could save you money as well as benefit the environment by reducing the need for industry to make more products (using valuable and sometimes finite resources).
