Hi there. This is my understanding of the situation, having done some work as a consultant for companies with lots of electronic waste. However I am happy to be corrected by other freecycle users!
As you probably know, the real problem with landfilling electronics is the heavy metals (e.g. lead in CRT monitors) leaching out into ground water. Obviously a new well managed landfil shouldn't leak, but it is a risk, especially with older not well managed landfills.
Unfortunately, in Australia recycling electronics does cost you at present. Your options are to pay for recycling (e.g. MRI in western Sydney
http://www.mri.com.au/).... or to reuse by giving away on freecycle (yay for freecycle!!) or Grays Online etc.
The government response to this is to push 'extended producer responsibility' by encouraging producers to have take back schemes. As I understand, only a few producers do this - I believe Dell does. And what Dell does is pay for the computers to be recycled by the few computer recycling places (I think MRI does their recycling).
For NSW, further info can be found at (http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/warr/ewaste.htm) Relevant quotes: "During 2000/2001, approximately 50,000 hardware units were disposed to landfill with only 6,000 units recycled..... Commercial users are more likely to reuse units by both resale and donation (to staff and others) or to bulk recycle units." "Electronic equipment is one of the most significant sources of heavy metals to landfill. This flow of hardware from the Inner Sydney region in 2000/2001 equates to disposal to landfill of an estimated one tonne of cadmium and beryllium, 60 tonnes of lead, 66 tonnes of copper, 20 tonnes of zinc and tin and 18 kg of mercury. The presence of these metals in landfill is a concern because of the potential pathways via landfill gas and waterborne leachate to the environment."
For interest, Europe has really hit this issue through the WEEE Directive that states: "Users of electrical and electronic equipment from private households should have the possibility of returning WEEE at least free of charge".
The WEEE also set mandatory limits on the heavy metals to be included in electronic goods in the first place. (A few years a a shipment of Sony playstations were not allowed off the ship from India in Amsterdam because a supplier had used components too high in heavy metals. This was at Christmas and Sony lost $$$). This has influenced suppliers to reduce heavy metals across the board, but I suppose it is a risk that products with higher levels of heavy metals could still be sold to markets outside of Europe.... i.e. Australia.
More info can be seen on WEEE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_Electrical_and_Electronic_Equipment_Directive)
So what can we do in Aus? I suppose you could write a letter to your local MP and ask him/her what their plan is to deal with electronic waste in Canberra, and that you are concerned that the voluntary approach to extended producer responsibility does not match the rigour required to really achieve change as shown by the European WEEE. You could also write to the suppliers and ask them what their plans are to improve extended producer responsibility. Or, you could turn the old electronics into art like the WEEE man on the wiki article?? Yay for environmental activisim via performance art with toasters!!!
Cheers,
Emily
