Victoria · Melbourne
E-waste disposal in Melbourne
In Victoria, e-waste has been banned from landfill since 1 July 2019, so anything with a plug, battery or power cord is barred from every household bin. Take it to a council transfer station or resource recovery centre, or to a product scheme such as B-cycle for loose batteries. Wipe every device before it leaves the house.
Sources Victorian e-waste landfill ban (vic.gov.au)Council waste and recycling services (archived Sustainability Victoria page)
What do I do with electronics & screens in VIC?
- Wipe it first Factory reset, sign out of accounts, pull the SIM and any storage card. Do this before it leaves the house, not after.
- Still working? Sell, give away, or check whether a repair café or men's shed wants it. A working laptop is worth more than its metals.
- Dead? Take it to an e-waste drop-off. Televisions, computers, printers and their peripherals have a free national-scheme route; whitegoods, fridges, air conditioners and other electronics vary by state and site, so follow the state rules below.
VIC banned regulated e-waste from landfill on 1 July 2019. The ban covers any item with a plug, battery or power cord: televisions, computers, mobile phones, e-cigarettes, battery-operated toys, kitchen appliances and white goods. Drop-offs are council transfer stations and resource recovery centres, plus B-cycle for loose batteries, MobileMuster for phones and the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme.
Nearest drop-off: Council waste and recycling services, all 79 Victorian councils (archived Sustainability Victoria page)
Can I put electronics in the bin in Victoria?
No. Victoria banned e-waste from landfill on 1 July 2019, and the ban covers any item with a plug, battery or power cord: televisions, computers, mobile phones, battery-operated toys, kitchen appliances, white goods and e-cigarettes. None of that can go in the red, yellow, purple or lime green bin. Take it to an e-waste drop-off point instead.
Where can I drop off e-waste in Melbourne?
Victorian councils take e-waste at their transfer stations and resource recovery centres, and product schemes cover specific items: B-cycle for loose batteries, MobileMuster for phones, and the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme for TVs and computers. Sustainability Victoria's drop-off map is no longer updated after the agency closed on 30 June 2026, so check your own council's website for current sites.
Does the Victorian e-waste ban cover vapes and batteries?
Yes. The Victorian Government defines e-waste as any item with a plug, battery or power cord, and names e-cigarettes, battery-operated toys and kitchen appliances in that definition. Since 1 July 2019 none of it can go to landfill in Victoria. Loose household batteries have their own route through B-cycle drop-off points, and vapes go to an e-waste drop-off, never a bin.
What should I do before getting rid of a phone or laptop?
Sign out of every account, factory reset the device, and remove the SIM and any memory card while it is still in your hands. A working, wiped laptop is worth selling or giving away. A dead one goes to a Victorian e-waste drop-off point, battery and all, since the ban has applied since 1 July 2019.
Need it gone this week?
Compare council collection, recycling and pickup options on the fridge and whitegoods removal page for Melbourne.