Geraldton e-waste facility closure leaves recycling hole in WA's MidwestBy Piper DuffyABC Midwest & WheatbeltTopic:Recycling and Waste Management22m ago22 minutes agoThu 1 May 2025 at 2:02amGeraldton & Midwest e-waste has stopped accepting drop offs for recycling. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Piper Duffy)In short:Geraldton & Midwest E-waste has been forced to close as owner Mike Barker can no longer pay the lease.The City of Greater Geraldton has no kerbside recycling, and the deputy mayor says locals keen to repurpose their waste will just have to "look hard and do some research".What's next?The council is considering running a community survey on waste collection and recycling.abc.net.au/news/midwest-e-waste-closure-solidifies-recycling-issue/105223312Link copiedShareShare articleA privately run recycling facility in Western Australia's Midwest has been forced to close due to increasing lease costs. Geraldton, about 400 kilometres north of Perth, does not have kerbside recycling.Seven years ago, Mike Barker became fed up with the situation and decided to do something about the amount of waste going to landfill, creating Geraldton & Midwest E-waste, an organisation dedicated to repurposing waste.Recycled bowls made from melted down plastic at Geraldton & Midwest e-waste. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Piper Duffy)With minimal options for recycling in the city of 40,000 people, Mr Barker's business was immediately overwhelmed.But a forced closure due to a lack of profit has put the town back to square one on recycling. Finding a new purposeMike Barker said he was struggling with severe depression and about to do his second "work for the dole" program through Centrelink before he put his dream of helping the climate into action.Mike Barker says finding ways to help his town recycle has changed his life. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Piper Duffy)He noticed a bed frame on the side of the road discarded as trash and thought "with a few extra screws" it had the potential to be as good as new. Before he knew it, Mr Barker had opened a workshop to see what more he could recycle."I didn't plan to go into the volunteer part of the workforce but it just sort of fell into place," he said."I thought here I was getting over my depression and put it out there that volunteers were welcome of any physical or mental capacity." Geraldton Geraldton & Midwest E-waste was fuelled by volunteers. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Piper Duffy)Renewed calls for recycling focusAlmost a decade later, the company was recycling "basically everything from your toaster upwards", including plastics, glass and electronics. New items such as bowls and plates made from recycled materials were also sold to customers on Facebook and at local market stalls. Geraldton & Midwest E-waste provided "opportunities locally", where around three volunteers ended up helping at the facility daily. Mr Barker said he was proud of the difference he made to the environment, but struggled to make a profit. Mike Barker says seeing his recycling dream end has him feeling "like a failure". (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Piper Duffy)"We've achieved thousands of tonnes of small appliances not going into landfill every year," he said."We've expanded out further through Dongara, Jurien, Northampton and Shark Bay contracts with the local shires."But unfortunately that's not enough to keep our head above water." Mr Barker said without an e-waste recycling facility in town it created a big gap for the Midwest.Mr Barker says the facility was able to recycle almost everything from a kitchen appliance. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Piper Duffy)"[Geraldton] was 30 years behind everyone else already and now [this closure] will take us another step back," he said."Because I don't see anyone in local government stepping up to make a difference and that's what this was — trying to educate people."You can tell by the amount of people that come in here every week, we've got thousands of supporters and they're all heartbroken."A costly processCity of Greater Geraldton deputy mayor Natasha Colliver said the community was sad to see the facility close, but if residents wanted to recycle they just had to "look hard and do some research" about the options in town. While Ms Colliver accepted waste management was a local government responsibility, she said cost was the underlying barrier. "Off the top of my head the current rubbish levy sits at around $400 and if we were to introduce yellow-top bins you'd be looking at doubling that," she said."[If ratepayers] didn't want that extra cost then we'd have to look at cutting another service so it's that really wicked dilemma." Natasha Colliver says the council "can't afford" kerbside recycling. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Piper Duffy)Currently, council only provides one bin to each household for all waste. Despite years of residents calling for kerbside recycling, Ms Colliver said there still had not been direct community consultation about the topic."But perhaps it might be a good idea to run a survey around this," she said.Ms Colliver said as people moved from metropolitan areas to the region they were often shocked at the lack of kerbside recycling and it highlighted a "disappointing" difference between cities and the country.Geraldton & Midwest E-waste have stopped accepting new waste. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Piper Duffy)"It really comes down to an equity issue and where I think regional people miss out on lots of things because it's not a fair playing ground," she said."It's just really hard for us to fulfil everything [state government] wants to do in the waste space … there's a lot of great things but regional councils just can't afford it."The ABC contacted Environment Minister Reece Whitby for comment but did not receive a response by deadline. ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt — local news in your inboxGet our local newsletter, delivered free each ThursdayYour information is being handled in accordance with the ABC Privacy Collection Statement.Email addressSubscribePosted 22m ago22 minutes agoThu 1 May 2025 at 2:02am, updated 18m ago18 minutes agoThu 1 May 2025 at 2:05amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesDutton hints at Coalition campaign failure as polls show Albanese majority in sightTopic:Government and PoliticsPhoto shows Peter Dutton election shadowsThe strange 'ballot-fellows' revealed on parties' how-to-vote cardsTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows green how to vote cards in the background with a text box that says enter your suburbSurprise could lurk for Labor if enough voters vent anger over cost of livingDAnalysis by David SpeersPhoto shows Anthony Albanese NPC for Speers ColumnJacinta Nampijinpa Price contradicts Peter Dutton, asserting Coalition will end school 'indoctrination'Topic:Public SchoolsPhoto shows Jacinta Price speaks while Dutton stands behind her listening. Hackers have 'compromised' almost 100 bank employees, experts sayTopic:Cyber CrimePhoto shows A generic graphic image including a gold dollar sign and some websites.Related storiesIt's a major regional city, now its residents are calling for basic kerbside recyclingTopic:Recycling and Waste ManagementPhoto shows Green, yellow and red bins agianst a dark grey wall, a woman is putting an empty milk bottle into the recycling binMost Aussies take their recycling to the front door. Callum stockpiles his and saves it for a trip to the city. Topic:Recycling and Waste ManagementPhoto shows A young man walking through a gate holding a washing basket full of recyclable materials. No kerbside pickup, no problem. This guy collects everyone else's plastic and makes potsTopic:EnvironmentPhoto shows A recycled plastic plant pot, with a succulent in it sitting on a sunny shelf by a window.Related topicsDongaraEnvironmental ImpactGeraldtonJurien BayLocal GovernmentNorthamptonPollutionRecycling and Waste ManagementTop StoriesDutton hints at Coalition campaign failure as polls show Albanese majority in sightTopic:Government and PoliticsPhoto shows Peter Dutton election shadowsThe strange 'ballot-fellows' revealed on parties' how-to-vote cardsTopic:ElectionsSurprise could lurk for Labor if enough voters vent anger over cost of livingDAnalysis by David SpeersJacinta Nampijinpa Price contradicts Peter Dutton, asserting Coalition will end school 'indoctrination'Topic:Public SchoolsHackers have 'compromised' almost 100 bank employees, experts sayTopic:Cyber CrimeJust InAhead of his 200th game for Canberra, the rise of Joseph Tapine was worth the wait and the weightTopic:Analysis7m ago7 minutes agoThu 1 May 2025 at 2:16amHow Labor changed workplace laws and what the Coalition would revertTopic:Industrial Relations14m ago14 minutes agoThu 1 May 2025 at 2:09amFrom obedience to choice: A Chinese migrant's first real vote in AustraliaBAnalysis by Bang Xiao16m ago16 minutes agoThu 1 May 2025 at 2:08amSimon Patterson tells court of 'strained' relationship with alleged mushroom killerTopic:Law, Crime and Justice19m ago19 minutes agoThu 1 May 2025 at 2:05amMore Just InBack to top