By Daniel Okafor

The 2026 Rethink e-recycling Drive will run from 17 to 23 October across Macquarie Park, returning after its 2025 inaugural run with a wider footprint and, for the first time, a certified secure data-erasure service.

The seven-day event pairs Konica Minolta Australia, Macquarie University and ANZRP's TechCollect programme to divert consumer electronics from landfill. Drop-off runs at two university sites and one Konica Minolta loading dock, with all collected material processed through TechCollect.

Andrew Bywaters, Senior Manager Facilities, Quality & Environment at Konica Minolta Australia, said the programme targets accessibility for residents, students, staff and businesses.

"Sustainability and environmental responsibility are at the heart of how we operate at Konica Minolta," Bywaters said. "Following the success of last year's inaugural event, we're proud to bring the initiative back in 2026, working with Macquarie University and ANZRP to make responsible e-waste recycling more accessible for residents, students, staff and businesses."

What does the 2026 edition add?

Three things, according to ANZRP:

• Expanded geographic reach inside the Macquarie Park precinct
• A wider set of collection channels
• A certified secure data-erasure service for eligible devices, with erasure certificates issued to participating customers

ANZRP Chief Marketing, Communications and People Officer Anne Stonier framed the upgrade as a scaling exercise. "In 2026, the event will expand its geographic reach, offer a wider range of collection channels and, for the first time, provide a certified secure data erasure service for eligible devices," Stonier said.

She added that the event is "becoming a growing e-recycling event for local communities and businesses".

Where can residents and businesses drop off?

Three access points sit inside the Macquarie Park catchment:

• Macquarie University Sport and Aquatic Centre, plus the carpark at 2 Link Road — open 17 to 23 October
• Konica Minolta's Macquarie Park office at 4 Drake Avenue — 23 October, 9am to 3pm
• Registered business drive-through at Konica Minolta's loading dock, 85 Epping Road — 21 to 23 October, 7am to 6pm

Accepted items cover the standard ICT list: personal and laptop computers, cables, tablets, notebooks, palmtops, monitors and accessories, printers, fax machines, scanners, multifunction devices, and televisions.

What changes for businesses?

The new data-erasure service is the operational wrinkle worth tracking. Participating customers walk away with a certificate confirming the wipe — turning a community drop-off into a compliance-grade disposal option for any business holding eligible devices.

Bywaters pointed to the corporate framing: "Sustainability and environmental responsibility are at the heart of how we operate at Konica Minolta."

The 2026 drive sits in a different register from the 2025 edition. Last year, the partners proved the model could collect ICT material from a Sydney precinct. This year, they're testing whether a one-week community event can deliver services normally run by IT asset disposition specialists.

What's the next milestone?

The 2026 collection window closes at 6pm on 23 October at the Epping Road loading dock, and at 3pm the same day at 4 Drake Avenue. Final tonnage, business participation counts, and the number of erasure certificates issued will surface once ANZRP tabulates the intake.

Watch for the post-event tonnage release. That figure will decide whether the 2027 edition expands beyond Macquarie Park or stays put.