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Next Life Cycle was created to make it easier for people to responsibly pass on unused electronics...

About Us

We believe that unwanted electronics with life still in them should never be called “waste.”

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Based on the Mornington Peninsula, Next Life Cycle is a free community e-waste collection service and social enterprise focused on practical, sustainable outcomes. Our work prioritises electronics reuse, certified e-waste recycling, and the protection of sensitive data.

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Before launching officially in 2026, we’ve already helped our partners process over 10 tonnes of electronics and recover more than 1,000 devices, keeping them out of landfill and in circulation.

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Our Mission

We operate a simple community collection system that allows electronics to be reused, repurposed, or responsibly recycled wherever possible.

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Items collected are sorted and assessed through established pathways, helping extend product life cycles and reduce unnecessary waste. We work with IT departments, schools, individuals, and community organisations to provide e-waste recycling services that are environmentally responsible and socially impactful.

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What We Prioritise

Reuse First - On average, up to 60% of collected electronics can be reused or refurbished. This helps keep valuable materials in circulation and reduces demand for new resource extraction.

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Certified Electronics Recycling - Devices that can’t be reused are dismantled and recycled by downstream partners with full environmental accreditation.
 

Secure Data Destruction - Every device is handled with data security in mind. Storage media is wiped using industry-standard methods (including Active@ KillDisk) or physically destroyed through shredding and smelting, ensuring data is permanently removed.

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Our Impact

Built from hands-on experience, our focus is simple processes, local impact, and keeping useful materials in circulation.

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We support refurbishers, vintage collectors, and repairers by helping source hard-to-find components, and we work with established resale partners to help devices find their next home.

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Our model combines free e-waste recycling with real community benefit — something we believe is essential for a functioning circular economy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What do we Accept / Cannot Accept?

​What we Accept: 
 

  • Laptops, desktop computers, mobile phones, cameras, camera lenses and accessories, servers, switches, IP phones, hard drives, motherboards, RAM, CPU, modems, tablets, controllers, control boxes, WiFi extenders, GPS navigation systems, computer games, Gameboys, Nintendos, Playstation, Xbox, iPads, iPods, iPhones, Macbooks, Android phones, graphics cards, cords and cables, turntables, DVD players, CD Players, video players, stereos; computer keyboards, routers, vintage mobile phones, vintage radios, receivers, amplifiers, tuners, media (CD's, DVD's, Tapes, VHS, Blank Media)
     

  • We can not take home appliances as they are metal scrap and require different machinery to process than our recycling partners use. Electronics recycling is a very hands-on, labour-intensive process. The resulting high costs make it necessary to focus only on items that can be reused, or recycled using machinery that our recycling partners work with.

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Items we Don't Accept: 

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  • Large Household Appliances

    • Fridges

    • Washing machines

    • Dryers

    • Dishwashers

    • Stoves

    • Ovens

    • Air conditioners

  • Small Household Appliances

    • Microwaves

    • Printers

    • Photocopiers

    • Laminators

    • Air fryers

    • Vacuums (unless Dyson)

    • Air purifiers

  • Heating & Electrical Items

    • Heaters

    • Oil heaters

    • Panel heaters

    • Large gas heaters

    • Electric blankets

    • Electric Fry Pans

    • Karchers or water pressure machines

  • Lighting

    • Lamps

    • Large lamps or floor-standing lamps

    • Light bulbs

    • Light fittings

  • Batteries & Power Storage

    • Loose household batteries

    • Portable charging packs (power banks)

    • Lithium batteries not installed in a device

    • We do accept batteries that are installed inside devices such as phones, laptops, cameras, and vacuums.

  • Damaged or Hazardous Items

    • Devices with swollen batteries

    • Vapes

  • Screens & Displays

    • there are a few caveats, this is case by case

  • Industrial & Commercial Equipment

    • Exhaust fans

    • Large machines

    • Vaporizers (motors can be handled by metal scrappers)

  • Outdoor & Machinery

    • Lawnmowers

    • BBQs

  • Audio & Furniture-Based Electronics

    • Fake wood speakers (materials cannot be recycled)

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  • Petrol, gas or other flammable-fueled machines

 

  • Anything with sludge, water, food, grease, fuel, animal waste or live creatures in or on it.

Where are local drop-off points located? (Coming Soon)
Ensuring data security on donated devices?

We erase all data from devices that we can turn on and sign in to.

 

For computers and laptops, when we can remove the hard drive, we use Active@KillDisk to erase drives up to U.S. Department of Defense 5220-22M erasure and 20+ more international sanitising standards.

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Devices that can not be securely erased are fully broken down to protect the data.

 

We provide certificates of data erasure and destruction to businesses free of charge.

How do I Erase Data off my Device?

How to Fully Erase Your iPhone

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If the iPhone is in your possession and you can turn it on.

  1. On your phone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase all content and settings > Erase this iPhone. Click continue.

  2. Follow the prompts. Back up your content if necessary.

  3. Enter your password and click the button on the top right that says "Turn Off".

  4. It will ask you if you want to erase the phone. Click Yes.

  5. Once it's erased, it will take you back to the home screen.

  6. Your device is now fully erased and all data deleted.

  7. There is no way of recovering your data from this device. 


If you cannot access your iPhone or if it doesn't turn on..

  1. Go to icloud.com on another mobile, laptop or desktop. Log in with your Apple ID credentials.

  2. Click on to your name to bring up the dashboard showing your list of devices. Click Find My Devices. It will ask you to sign in again.

  3. Select the device you want to remove from your list of devices and click erase. It will remotely erase your device.

  4. Then remove that device from your list of devices.

  5. This will completely remove all data from your device and ensure no one can access it.

 

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How to Fully Erase Your Android Phone

  1. First back up your personal data, so you don't lose it all

  2. Navigate to and open Settings, and then tap General management.

  3. Swipe to and tap Reset, then tap Factory data reset, and then review the information.

  4. When you're ready, swipe to and tap Reset.

  5. If you have a security lock set, you will be asked to enter the credentials.

  6. Tap Delete All.

  7. From there, you will be required to enter your account's password if you an account.From the


Your device will reset; when it turns back on, it will start from the initial setup screen.

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