News Release

Monday 4 November 2013

Rotorua Recycling Centre accepting TVs as city prepares to go digital

Rotorua District Council (RDC) is encouraging locals to drop-off their old unusable television sets at the Rotorua Recycling Centre as the city prepares to go digital on 1 December.

The council is participating in the government’s TV TakeBack programme, an initiative to encourage the public to recycle their unwanted television sets, diverting them from landfill.

RDC solid waste manager, Tim Senington, said local residents have long been able to drop their old TVs off at the city’s recycling centre, however the government will help subsidise the council’s costs during the TV TakeBack programme.

“Rotorua was one of the country’s early leaders providing an e-waste facility at our popular recycling centre and allowing locals to drop-off unwanted electronics free of charge; such as televisions, cellphones, computers, microwaves and DVD players.

“The TV TakeBack programme coincides with the country going digital this year. Hundreds of thousands of TVs in New Zealand are nearing the end of their lives and many locals will use the opportunity to upgrade their TV sets. It’s therefore important that any unwanted TVs are recycled responsibly.

“TVs contain materials like lead that can be hazardous to our health and the environment so they shouldn’t be dumped in landfills or elsewhere into the environment.

“TVs also contain many materials - such as copper, steel and glass - which can be re-used in other products if they are recycled correctly by authorised recyclers.”

The government has committed funding from its national Waste Minimisation Fund for TV TakeBack, to cover investment in recycling infrastructure, subsidies for TV recycling and public awareness programmes.

[ENDS]

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