No. Drop Zones are a free service for householders and small business.

Electronic waste or e-waste is discarded, surplus, obsolete or broken electrical or electronic devices.

E-waste is the most rapidly growing segment being sent to landfill and sending it to landfill is costly. But more importantly, not recycling e-waste can be harmful to the environment as it contains toxic chemicals and metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury which when disposed in landfills can get into surrounding soil and groundwater. By recycling e-waste we can recover valuable and scarce materials, and we reduce the environmental impact and energy consumption of mining and processing.

When we collect e-waste, it is securely transported to our site where it is logged in and sorted. Once the products have been sorted into their specific streams, like TVs, computers , printers etc they are then dismantled into components e.g. circuit boards, cable or materials e.g. steel, glass, plastics.  They are then sent to approved downstream recyclers or manufacturers for reprocessing into new products. We ensure that all brands and marks are removed and any hard disk drive or data storage device is removed and either drilled, shredded or smashed. A minimum of 95% of e-waste is diverted from landfill and recycled.

Drop Zone is a network of public collection sites managed by MRI PSO and are part of the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS).  Drop Zone sites provide free recycling of televisions, computers, printers and computer peripherals Australia-wide for households, schools and small business.  These sites include most Officeworks stores and many local councils.

MRI PSO Pty Ltd is an approved Co-Regulatory Arrangement under the federal government’s NTCRS, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of MRI E-cycle Solutions.  It has been established to operate the Arrangement.

The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) is a joint initiative of Federal Government and importers and manufacturers of televisions and computers to provide Australian households and small business free collection and recycling services Australia wide.

Electronic waste products covered under the NTCRS include televisions, computers, printers, computer parts and peripherals.

The aim of the NTCRS is to reduce the impact of unwanted and used televisions and computers on the environment and to reduce the impact that substances contained in these products have on peoples’ health and safety.

The NTCRS has three main objectives, which together mean better management of e-waste:

• Reduce waste to landfill, especially hazardous materials found in e-waste
• Increase recovery of reusable materials in a safe, scientific and environmentally sound manner
• Provide access for households and small businesses across Australia to an industry-funded recycling service.

The NTCRS creates employment opportunities within the recycling sector, and assists local government manage e-waste by providing alternative collection services.

Accepted NTCRS Scheme E-waste

• All televisions, such as CRTs, Plasma, LCD and Projection televisions
• Personal Computers
• Laptops, notebooks, servers, server cabinets
• Palmtops and tablets
• Computer monitors
• Parts for personal computers – for example internal hard drives, motherboards, cards, internal power supplies, CPUs, DVD and CD drives
• Computer peripherals – for example mice, keyboards, joysticks, game pads, scanners & web cameras,
• Modems, switches, routers and hubs
• Printers & Digital Printers – for example ink-jet, dot matrix, laser printers and multi- functional devices digital copiers.

Not Accepted – Non Scheme E-waste

• Mobile Phones
• Game Consoles (such as Microsoft Xbox’s or Sony Playstation’s)
• Video Recorders
• DVD players
• Radios / stereos
• Power tools
• Appliances / Microwaves
• Refrigerators
• Whitegoods
• Audio equipment
• Products that have been exposed to radiation, biological or chemical hazard
• Set top boxes

MRI E-cycle Solutions is an Australian-owned ewaste and battery recycling company with a reputation for practical expertise and robust technical knowledge. We operate across Australia and provide a comprehensive range of collection, reuse and recycling services for all electrical and electronic products and batteries. This includes solutions for associated consumables such as batteries, fluorescent tubes and printer cartridges. Our services extend to recycling Internet of Things (IoT) devices, powertools, photovoltaic panels and associated renewables equipment.

MRI E-cycle Solutions is the largest non-lead-acid battery recycler in Australia. Our product stewardship arm (MRI PSO) is an approved Co-regulatory Arrangement under the Federal Government’s National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS). We also specialise in secure data wiping and physical destruction of equipment where personal or sensitive data is involved.

MRI E-cycle Solutions operates four recycling facilities across Australia providing services to the community, government and business.  Our recycling facilities are independently audited and certified to all relevant industry standards including: ISO9001, ISO14001, OHAS18001, AS/NZ4801 and AS/NZ5377.  Our facilities are EPA licensed and we hold the required Government export permits when moving hazardous materials and components off-shore.  Effective and efficient compliance is embedded throughout the company and its operations.