Offices
2 min read
By Pedro Carreira
Updated 25 June 2026
Podcast-equipped coworking spaces generate standard office waste plus: acoustic foam at end-of-life (general waste), electronic equipment waste (e-waste recycling), cable waste, and packaging from equipment upgrades.
E-waste from audio equipment should be recycled through NTCRS. Monthly waste similar to standard coworking: $200–500.
Budget for periodic e-waste collection as studio equipment is replaced.
Key Numbers
- Monthly waste cost: $200–500
- E-waste recycling channel: NTCRS
- Recycling Victoria diversion target: 80% by 2030
- Metro landfill levy (general waste): $169.79/tonne
What You Need to Know
A podcast studio bolts a small but distinctive waste profile onto an ordinary office: it's the periodic, bulky items that catch people out, not the daily bin.
- Acoustic foam at end-of-life — general waste, but bulky, so plan the lift.
- Audio equipment (mics, interfaces, headphones) — e-waste, never the general bin.
- Cable waste from re-wiring and upgrades — recoverable as e-waste.
- Packaging spikes whenever gear is replaced.
Electronic equipment should be recycled through the NTCRS rather than landfilled, which keeps it out of the $169.79/tonne levy and supports the 80%-by-2030 diversion goal in Recycling Victoria — A New Economy. Because the e-waste comes in irregular bursts, you don't want it built into a fixed monthly contract. Bundle Waste is an independent broker: our free invoice audit separates your steady office waste from one-off e-waste collections, compares a network of providers, and is paid only from the savings — so you stop paying full freight for sporadic studio clear-outs.
Related Resources
Related Questions
What does e-waste recycling cost for businesses?+
E-waste recycling for businesses costs $0–5/kg depending on item type. Computers and monitors are often collected free under the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme. Printers cost $5–15 each. Data destruction certificates cost $5–15 per hard drive.
What waste do IT companies produce?+
IT companies generate: e-waste (computers, servers), paper/cardboard, office waste, data-bearing media (require secure destruction). E-waste collected free at volume under NTCRS. Data destruction: $5–15/drive. Monthly office waste: $100–300.
How should co-working spaces manage waste?+
Co-working spaces need: clearly labelled multi-stream bins, central collection point, regular member education. A 100-desk space: 2x 240L general waste, 2x 240L recycling, 1x 240L organics. Monthly cost: $200–400.
What waste do photography studios generate?+
Digital studios produce mainly office-type waste at $80–200/month. Film studios generate chemical waste (developer, fixer — PIW at $5–15/litre to dispose). Maintain e-waste collection for end-of-life equipment.
How can offices reduce paper waste?+
Strategies: default double-sided printing (saves up to 50%), digital document management, e-signatures, digital meeting notes, remove personal printers, set print quotas. Going 80% paperless saves $150–300/year per employee.
See exactly what you are overpaying
Bundle Waste reviews your current waste invoices and benchmarks them against a network of Melbourne providers — free, with a written report in 5 business days. You will see what you pay now, where the hidden charges are, and the rate we can negotiate. You only pay from the savings we find: no savings, no fee.
Get my free waste audit →
Updated 25 June 2026
