Regulation for small electrical products and solar photovoltaic systems

The Australian Government is proposing to implement a national, legislated product stewardship scheme for small electrical and electronic equipment (SEEE) and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. This initiative comes in response to the growing e-waste problem in Australia, where each person generates around 20kg of e-waste annually, one of the highest per capita rates globally. The proposed regulation aims to address the environmental and health costs associated with e-waste, increase recycling and material recovery rates, and support Australia's transition to a circular economy. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has developed this proposal in consultation with industry stakeholders, recyclers, peak bodies, regulators, and state and territory governments.

The regulation would cover small electrical and electronic equipment (SEEE) up to 20kg and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The proposal includes the following:

• Multiple network operators are to manage collection, transportation and recycling services.
• Importers and manufacturers above set thresholds would be liable parties required to pay fees to fund the scheme.
• Industry targets and obligations will be set, i.e. annual recycling targets, material recovery targets, obligations to encourage product reuse, education and awareness requirements.
• There will be two approaches for PV systems, one for small-scale systems up to 100kW capacity and one for large-scale systems above 100kW. The latter provides options for liable parties to manage waste.

Implementation of the regulation will follow existing product stewardship provisions under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020.

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