Last chance for free TV recycling

Free TV recycling in Hawke’s Bay is into its last few days.

TV Takeback began in Hawke’s Bay on Saturday October 13th, after the region become one of the first to have the analogue TV signal turned off.  This meant a large number of TVs were unwanted and a receiving depot was created at the old Mitre 10 Mega site in St Aubyn Street Hastings in an effort to have residents recycle rather than send their old TVs to the landfill.

Hastings District Council Waste Minimisation Officer Dominic Salmon says “The response has been overwhelming, with over 7500 TVs being left at the recycling depot in the past 11 days. This has filled 29 shipping containers and we are expecting another rush this weekend as the free recycling period comes to an end. A large amount of the material in a TV can be reused and the bits that can’t be recycled are disposed of in a responsible manner.”

“We are reminding residents that there are just four days left in the free recycling period and we want as many people as possible to take advantage of the service. Any TVs that are left at the old Mitre 10 Mega site after the free recycling ends at 4pm on Sunday will be treated as littering and the owners could be issued with an infringement notice.”

Following the end of the free recycling period the Environment Centre in Russell Street, Hastings and the Henderson Road recycling centre will continue to accept television sets for disposal but there will be a charge, although it will be at a heavily discounted rate.

Hastings District Council has partnered with RCN e-Cycle and the Environment Centre as part of the TV Takeback project with funding for the recycling of the TVs being provided from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund.

FREE TV recycling will be available at the old Mitre 10 Mega site in St Aubyn Street will be available from 9am until 4pm daily until Sunday October 28th  

TV Takeback is a project of the Ministry for the Environment.  For more information and a list of TV drop off points in Hastings, Napier, Wairoa and Central Hawke’s Bay visit www.tvtakeback.govt.nz