Lighting & Electrical

What Types Of Batteries Can Schools Recycle?

Schools get through their fair share of batteries, and with the start of the new school year fast approaching, now is a good time for a refresher lesson on battery recycling. It’s an important lesson because each year in Australia less than 10% of discarded batteries get recycled. Aside from contributing to the mountains of waste going to landfill this also represents a waste of valuable resources, particularly when recycling batteries is both simple and convenient. By weight and number si…

How apple recovered $40 million worth of gold from unwanted iPhones

Modern prospectors don’t need to head off into the wilderness, shovel and pan in hand, to hit gold – there’s plenty to be found in old phones and computers. In fact, in 2015 alone, Apple recovered a full tonne of gold from items collected via its take-back program. That tonne was just a small fraction of the 27,800 tonnes of total recovered material but at current gold prices it is worth about US$40 million. In comparison, the value of recovered copper and aluminium was about US$6.5 million a…

Will Australia Benefit From The Lithium Boom?

Within a few days of launch, more than 300,000 people put down deposits on the Tesla Model 3 electric car. While Tesla may be the highest profile electric car manufacturer at the moment, it is far from the only one. Many major brands are getting in on the act and there are plenty of reasons to believe that the future of motoring will be electric. The explosion in electric vehicle production is going to drive a massive expansion in lithium battery production, begging the question: does the wor…

Australia’s largest streetlight recycling initiative has been completed

Mercury bonus Ecocycle’s main focus is on preventing the mercury contained in the old streetlights from ending up in the environment. However, the energy savings delivered by the new low-energy lighting provides an additional bonus on the mercury front. Coal-fired power stations are a major source of mercury pollution, so that big reduction in energy demand for street lighting leads to a similar reduction in mercury released into the atmosphere. Upgrading your lighting? Lighting the Regions i…

E-Waste Recycling: What Actually Happens To Your Old Phone Or TV When It’s Recycled?

When we think of e-waste, most attention focuses on the bits that do all the hard work – the batteries and printed circuit boards (PCBs). We tend to forget about the boring things like steel computer cases, glass and plastics even though they can, by weight, make up over 95% of the e-waste disposal stream. That means much of the electronics recycling process is relatively easy, and in the early stages involves some pretty basic methods. Reusing And Repairing Electronics How many electronic …

REES provides more opportunities for Australian electricians

SA’s REES Scheme Opens Up New Opportunities For Sparkies

The South Australian Retailer Energy Efficiency Scheme (REES) commenced on the 1st of January 2015, and will run until 2020. It requires larger energy retailers to help households and businesses save energy, opening up new opportunities for electrical contractors. REES Covers A Lot Of Options Under REES, energy retailers can offer a wide range of energy efficiency improvements, from installing or topping up insulation through window replacement to lighting replacement and upgrades. It is, h…

How The NSW Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) Benefits Sparkies

Electrical contractors in New South Wales wanting to boost business should take a look at the Energy Savings Scheme (ESS). It provides a significant financial incentive for businesses and home-owners to undertake activities that reduce their energy use. How ESS Works When an eligible activity that reduces electricity consumption is completed, energy savings certificates (ESCs) can be created. These are then sold to ‘liable parties’ such as electricity retailers. This means contractors can offe…

Riches From Old Batteries And E-Waste

Recycling is an increasingly important part of our economy, for two major reasons. For one, it plays a major role in preventing the environmental pollution that occurs when hazardous materials are dumped. The second is that it recovers valuable resources for reuse. Batteries and electronic waste (e waste) contain a complex mix of materials that creates quite a challenge for recyclers. However, there are effective solutions for battery recycling and e waste recovery that help to feed our vo…

How Fluorescent Tubes Are Recovered By A Lamp Recycler

Disposing of fluorescent tubes, lamps and bulbs is a particular concern as they contain the highly toxic metal, mercury. At any given moment there are billions of light globes and fluorescent tubes lighting up our lives, but old light bulbs and tubes eventually give up the ghost and create a mountain of waste. Fortunately, lamp recycling is not only possible; it’s also highly desirable. That’s where Ecocycle comes in. The Fluorescent Lamp Recycling Process Even today, with all our knowledge…

What Can 22 Million Recycled Phones Do?

If you have any old phones that you want to throw away, you can find drop-off points on Mobile Muster's website here, or print off reply paid labels and post them in. Recycling Electronics– More Than Just Phones There is far more to e waste disposal than just mobile phones. Think of all the printers, computers, TVs and electronic toys that contribute to our e waste management problems. Electronic recycling solutions exist for all of these items too. Various programs exist for recycling e wa…

Five Types Of Old Batteries Your Workplace Can Easily Recycle

Our modern world relies on all sorts of batteries, from the little button cells that go into hearing aids through to huge, shipping container sized batteries that provide industrial-scale backup power. And that reliance is increasing as we develop stronger attachments to a growing suite or electronic devices. Battery Recycling Is Here To Help All those batteries will eventually hit the end of their useful lives and, if we continue our current habits, most of them will end up in landfill. Th…

What Ireland Can Teach Us About Fluorescent Bulb Recycling

In Ireland, retailers that sell compact fluorescent lamps and tubes are required to offer a free recycling service. For each bulb or tube purchased, retailers are obliged to accept an equivalent tube or lamp for recycling. As a result, about 30% of fluoro lamps and tubes are recycled in Ireland. While that’s a lot higher than the estimated 5 - 10% recycling rate in Australia, it’s still not a rate Ireland is happy with. Aiming For The Other 70% To lift the fluorescent lamps recycling rat…

South Australian Sparkies Lead The Way On Fluoro Recycling

South Australia is widely recognised as a leader in recycling and waste reduction. Its famous 10 cent deposit on drinks containers has been in place since 1975 and checkout-style plastic bags were given the flick in 2009. Since 2010, bans on dumping a growing list of waste types in landfill have given recycling rates a further boost. The South Australian bans are pretty broad, from paper, cardboard and a range of plastics, through medical waste and liquid waste to “vegetative matter col…

Electricians Win More Tenders with ISO 14001 Accreditation

Proper disposal of mercury waste plays a crucial part of protecting our environment, so it won’t come as any surprise that, as Australia’s leading lamp recycler, Ecocycle is committed to the highest standards. That’s why we are accredited to the internationally recognised environmental management standard ISO 14001. What may be less obvious is how our accreditation can help electricians win more business. What is ISO 14001 Accreditation? ISO 14001 is an international standard that helps org…

It’s Easy To Recycle E Waste

While an important part of our everyday life, technology is always changing and evolving. Today’s new big thing is tomorrow’s electronic waste, and we are producing mountains of the stuff. Computers, TVs, phones and tablets contain a mix of both valuable and hazardous materials. It’s really easy for businesses to responsibly manage electronic waste disposal with a tailored waste management program. Recycle Your E-waste In Two Simple Steps With two quick steps your e waste management prob…

FluoroCycle: Cleaning Up Australia’s Lighting Industry

According to the Lighting Council of Australia (LCA), Australia’s peak lighting industry body, 90-95% of mercury-containing lighting waste is sent to landfill. To help do something about that appalling figure, the LCA established FluoroCycle. FluoroCycle is a voluntary product stewardship scheme. It aims to increase the level of fluorescent lamp recycling by targeting the commercial and industrial sectors where the bulk of waste lamps are generated. FluoroCycle Targets Both Commercial Use…

Six Things You Should Know About The National Television And Computer Recycling Scheme

1. What Is The National Television And Computer Recycling Scheme? The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) was established in 2011 and provides Australian households with access to collection and recycling services for old televisions, computers and other related equipment. 2. What Are The Goals Of The Recycling Scheme? The NTCRS sets annually increasing targets for the proportion of TV and computer waste that is collected for recycling. Strong demand from the public has …

Trisa Thompson, Dell's vice president of corporate responsibility. Image Credit : www.greenbiz.com

How Dell Is Tackling The Global E-waste Disposal Problem

Did you know that in 2014 the world produced 42 million tonnes of e-waste? It’s a figure that is set to grow with our insatiable appetites for electronic gadgets and a growing, more affluent world population. Fortunately, the electronics industry is taking this issue seriously, and one company that is setting the pace on recycling and recovery is Dell. Legacy Of Good In 2013 Dell released its Legacy of Good plan. It addresses a range of issues, from biodegradable packaging to massive reduct…

How Frogs Helped Invent Batteries

The story of the invention of batteries nicely illustrates how an unexpected observation can stimulate curious minds and lead to new inventions with world-changing results. It begins in 1780 with Luigi Galvani dissecting a frog attached to a brass hook. When he touched the frog’s leg with an iron scalpel it twitched. Galvani’s friend, Alessandro Volta, thought that it might have something to do with a moist connector (the dead frog) joining two different metals. That led to further experiment…

The Easy Way To Recycle Batteries

Australia has a pretty poor record when it comes to battery recycling. Over 90% of dead batteries, hundreds of thousands a year, end up in landfill. It just adds to our waste problem and increases the risk of toxic chemicals polluting our environment. It’s also a waste of valuable, reusable resources. The good news is, when it comes to recycling batteries, nothing could be easier. We're Here To Help You With Your Battery Waste If you generate larger volumes of battery waste, for examp…

What Can Schools Recycle?

There are so many things Australian schools can easily recycle, and starting a recycling program is a great way to get local community members such as students, parents and teachers involved. Take a look at our school recycling guide and see all the things that can be recycled to help make a difference. Recycle The Regular Things Schools can recycle the common things that we are used to recycling at home. Paper and cardboard, plastic and glass bottles, aluminium cans and other drink containers…

How Your Workplace Can Run Its Own Battery Recycling Scheme

Did you know that old batteries can be recycled? Even better, did you know you could set up your own workplace scheme in the office or warehouse to collect old batteries from both work and home? Join the thousands of Australian workplaces making a real difference. Recycling your old batteries makes a real contribution to cleaning up the environment, and it’s dead easy. Anyone in a company can get the ball rolling. Here’s how to do it. Get The Boss Onside This step is easy if you are t…

Why My Phone Battery Never Lasts A Day: 4 Tips To Make Your Battery Last Longer

We all share the pain of our smartphone dying when we need it the most, which leaves us thinking "why did I play that extra game of Candy Crush?!". Ten years ago, phone batteries lasted for days without needing a charge but now, the battery indicator drops even quicker. So, what is happening with your smart phone to make it go flat? So, What’s Going On? When you charge your phone battery, lithium ions move from the cathode, made of lithium cobalt oxide, to the anode, which is made of graphi…

Lamps and tubes in a stillage waiting to be recycled.

Four Easy Steps To Recycling Fluorescent Bulbs And Lighting

Ecocycle is Australia’s largest fluorescent lights recycling company. We also recycle light bulbs that don’t contain mercury. In Australia, disposing of light bulbs usually means dumping millions of them into landfill. The problem is, fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent lamps contain mercury. It may only be a small amount per lamp, but with such large volumes involved this waste stream represents a significant source of mercury pollution. It takes just one gram of mercury to contaminate…

What Can Other Countries Teach Us About Battery Recycling?

When it comes to recycling batteries, Australia’s has a lot of room for improvement. A detailed study commissioned by the Australian Battery Recycling Initiative (ABRI) in 2010 showed that out of a total of 11,904 tonnes of waste handheld batteries (those that weigh less than one kilogram) just 750 tonnes (pdf) were responsibly recycled. That’s a measly recycling rate of just 6.3%. Since then we’ve got worse. This year ABRI cited a recycling rate of just 3% for these batteries. Given that Aus…

E-Waste Recycling: Getting Treasure From Trash

Once the bulky boring bits that make up most of the electronic waste stream have been removed, recyclers are left to deal with an incredibly complex mix of metals and other components. Some of that complexity is found in the lithium batteries that power most of our mobile devices. Battery recycling involves a mix of shredding, physical metal separation and wet chemistry to recover carbon, cobalt and lithium. Then it’s on to the real challenge: the printed circuit boards (PCBs).…

A Victorian Ban on E-Waste Being Sent To Landfill Is Coming

While specific schemes for recycling some types of e-waste exist – things like mobile phones, printer cartridges, computers and TVs – rates of electronic recycling in Victoria are still relatively low. For example, under the national stewardship program for recycling televisions and computers, just 37% of discarded items are required to be recycled in 2015-2016. That’s a fraction of the final target of 80% by 2026, and for many other types of electronic waste the recycling rate is effectively…

Behold The Beauty Of The Humble Light Bulb

Good old incandescent globes have been lighting our way for over a century. Most of us install them and discard them without a second look, but have you ever peered inside a light globe and wondered how these little marvels of engineering are made? Here’s the video to satisfy your curiosity. Watch carefully for the part where the all-important filament gets added. It’s quite an engineering feat in its own right. The spiral that we can see with the naked eye is actually a ‘coiled coil’ that neatl…

Extra Cash Every Week For Victorian Sparkies with VEET

Victorian electrical contractors are saving their customers heaps of money just by changing a few light globes. With a lot of the cost covered by a state government rebate, householders and businesses are jumping at the chance to ditch their halogens, incandescent globes and even fluorescent lighting in favour of new, energy efficient lights. That’s creating a lot of work for Victoria’s switched-on sparkies, but the good times won’t last forever. Get Started with VEET There are a couple of …

Do You Work With Mercury? The Four Things You Must Know About The Minamata Convention

Many people who work with mercury don’t even know it. It is present in fluorescent lighting, some types of dental, medical and mining waste, and in a wide range of industrial equipment. If you have anything to do with these industries, your obligation for their safe disposal is about to increase. We've put together four key things you need to know about Minamata, and what it means for you and your business. 1. The Minamata Convention Keeps Mercury Out Of Our Environment And Waterwa…

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