21 October 2013

Recycle your old analogue when TV goes Digital

With big changes to the TV broadcasting system looming in December, Council is expecting there to be a boom in the number of television sets destined for destruction.

“Many TVs are recycled each year, but unfortunately many are also sent to landfill or dumped illegally,” said Whangarei District Council’s Solid Waste Engineer John Langsford.

“Old televisions contain a range of hazardous materials including lead, so we are taking part in the Ministry for the Environment’s TV TakeBack programme, starting

on 23 October, to help people dispose of TVs they no longer want, in a way that protects the environment."

Mr Langsford said that ReSort on Kioreroa normally charged $18 for disposal of a TV, but would be offering the service for just $5 throughout the TV Takeback programme, while funding from the Ministry remained available.

The fee is this low because of funding by the MfE’s TV Take Back Programme, to subsidise the cost of recycling of TVs.

“We want to encourage people to recycle unwanted television sets rather than just sending them to the landfill or dumping them illegally,” he said.

Mr Langsford said the service would not be available at Council’s rural transfer stations, but Council waste education contractor EcoSolutions is also participating in the programme and will be collecting TVs at three different sites:

· 1 Woods Road (behind Chipmunks) 26 October— 23 November (Saturdays only) 10am – 4pm

· Te Horo School, 3239 Pipiwai Road, Saturday 2 November only 10am – 4pm

· Ruakaka School, 12 Sandford Rd, Ruakaka Saturdays 2 and 9 November only 10am – 4pm

There will be a $5 fee at these sites.
ends

© Scoop Media