eWaste – Who do you think is responsible?

With Federal and State Governments currently in talks over a possible legislation to help control Australia’s eWaste problem, I’d like to ask the question – who do you think should be held responsible? Does the onus lay completely with government for not controlling the problem sooner, or is it all the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) who should be thinking more about the end-of-life for all electronic products, and not just about selling new models? Should consumers bear the responsibility and cost given that it is our choice to buy the latest and greatest in technology and dispose of the old – should each and every one of us be held responsible? But without knowledge of how to recycle eWaste or who to turn to, consumers are left with no choice but to dump their old electronics as they would normal waste. And this is where the problem lies. If OEMs were to put an easy and clear system in place that is well advertised to consumers, recycling of eWaste could become as easy as recycling glass and plastic bottles. This is why it is important for State and Federal Government to put strict guidelines in place that hands the responsibility over to organizations – so they HAVE to develop their own strategy for all their own products. It won’t be long before this is a reality. What do you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions about who is responsible, who should pay for recycling and what action should be taken.