A COMPANY has been fined $20,000 for what the federal government said was a case of “hiding e-waste in a container exported to Singapore”.
The container, shipped by Melbourne-based e-waste recycling company Weeebytes Pty Ltd, was intercepted by Singapore authorities on 24 March last year.
According to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the shipment included “large quantities” of crushed hard drives, printed circuit boards, solar inverters, lithium-ion batteries, electrical power sources and old transmitters.
The e-waste was hidden behind other goods and not properly declared by Weeebytes.
The company was aware of export requirements for hazardous waste but failed to obtain an export permit under the Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1989.
Weeebytes was required to return the container to Australia, arrange for lawful disposal of the e-waste at its own expense and pay a fine of $19,800 for the export of hazardous waste without a permit.
“The Australian government takes the export of hazardous e-waste without a permit very seriously,” a DCCEEW spokesperson said.
“Many electrical products contain hazardous substances including heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium, and flame retardants, many of which are persistent organic pollutants.
“If disposed of improperly, these substances can enter drinking water and soil, leading to serious human health concerns.”
The spokesperson said the department was strengthening its monitoring and detection capabilities.
“We are conducting more port inspections, inspecting license holders and working with partners such as Australian Border Force, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and state Environment Protection Agencies to identify suspicious consignments earlier.
“Individuals or organisations found to have illegally exported regulated waste can face significant penalties.”