DHL Supply Chain director service parts Peter Bruce said the company - which delivers the service in the ACT - did as much of the recycling in Australia as possible.

Televisions and computers dumped at the Mugga Lane and Mitchell tips are taken to local contractor MRI's Fyshwick factory, where they are checked, then broken up into their components: largely plastic, glass, metal and circuit boards.

MRI marketing director Bruce Jackson said 86 per cent, by weight, of e-waste was recycled.

Steel, copper and aluminum are sold to local scrap metal merchants and the plastic is sent to a Sydney recycler.

The glass is split into two types: the lead-contaminated glass from older sets is sent to a specialist plant in South Australia and the rest goes to a recycler in Sydney.

Australia does not have a smelter capable of breaking down circuit boards into their component metals, like copper, gold and silver, so these are shipped overseas, where DHL pays companies to recycle them.

But, Mr Bruce said, only approved smelters were used and audits were undertaken to ensure they complied with environmental guidelines.