Case study: E-recycling initiative

Any customer purchasing a Netgear product can send their old product — irrespective of brand — to Netgear's recycling service, at no cost. An auto-generated, postage-paid, return address label can be printed using the website. The program is being run in conjunction with Thiess Services.

“Working with Thiess Services, we’ve been able to remove one of the main barriers to inaction when it comes to responsible recycling — cost. There’s no catch: the recycled equipment doesn’t even have to be Netgear-branded. The only qualification is a new Netgear purchase to replace the old equipment, and we do the rest,” says Ryan Parker, managing director, Netgear Australia.

“Many people are concerned about the amount of waste generated by the purchase and use of IT but almost every part of an electronic peripheral can be recycled — in fact, we are generally able to recycle 95 to 98% of electronic waste,” says Tony Calleja, e-recycling manager, Thiess Services. “Once the waste is collected it is separated into its various material parts. Plastics, aluminium, steel parts and cables are easily recycled, and this is done locally. Some printed circuit boards are sent overseas to be recycled in accordance with international guidelines and conventions.”

Thiess Services handled more than 150,000 tonnes of recyclables in New South Wales, ACT and Queensland in 2007, and this figure will be close to 200,000 tonnes in 2008. It has a dedicated e-recycling facility that guarantees a high level of recycling of electronic materials, reducing the amount of heavy metals such as lead, phosphorus, mercury, selenium and cadmium and other resources like ferrous metals, aluminium, brass and plastics that is being buried in landfill.

For more information on the recycle program, visit www.Netgear.com.au/recycle.