Australia generates approximately 680,000 tonnes of electronic waste annually, making it one of the highest per-capita e-waste producers in the world, according to the latest figures from the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Less than 30% of that total is formally recycled — with the remainder ending up in landfill, often overseas.
The federal government's National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) — while covering computers, TVs and printers — does not extend to mobile phones, leaving tens of millions of discarded handsets outside any formal collection framework each year. Industry groups have called for mandatory take-back obligations to be extended to mobile devices.
The refurbished market's role: Every certified refurbished device sold extends the useful life of that hardware by an average of 2–4 years, reducing the associated carbon footprint by an estimated 50–80kg of CO₂ equivalent compared to manufacturing a new device. Green Gadgets, one of Australia's smaller but highest-rated refurbishers, operates a carbon-offset shipping model and B-Corp certified sustainability practices — demonstrating that commercial viability and environmental responsibility are not mutually exclusive.
RefurbVerify encourages consumers to factor sustainability into their vendor selection. A well-graded certified refurbished device from a reputable vendor is both a financially and environmentally sound choice.
Source: DCCEEW data, industry estimates. Information only.