Amy Adams24 MARCH, 2013
Environment Minister Amy Adams has today
announced that a national programme to encourage
the recycling of unwanted televisions and
raise investment in New Zealand’s electronic
recycling capacity will be launched in the
South Island tomorrow.
The TV TakeBack programme
aims to divert televisions from going to
landfill in an initiative that involves
the Government partnering with a range of
recyclers, councils and retailers to provide
a nationwide network of subsidised options.
“As we go digital, my
challenge to New Zealanders is to play their
part in caring for the environment,” Ms
Adams says.
“Televisions contain
materials such as lead and mercury that
can be harmful if released into soil or
waterways, so they should not be being dumped
in landfills.
“If people are cleaning
out the garage and want to get rid of an
unwanted television, it is best to dispose
of it responsibly.”
The recycling programme,
which coincides with New Zealand’s switch
from analogue to digital television, starts
in the South Island tomorrow.
The programme will then
be rolled out to the lower North Island
and Auckland by July, and the rest of the
North Island from September, to coincide
with the digital switchover in each region.
During the first stage
of the programme, more than 20,000 televisions
were dropped off for recycling in Hawke’s
Bay and the West Coast – the first two regions
to go digital.
“Hawke’s Bay and the
West Coast have set the standard for the
rest of the country.
“The willingness of
residents in these regions to recycle their
televisions means hundreds of tonnes of
waste will now be recycled and re-used in
other products, rather than go to landfill.”
The programme also aims
to improve recycling infrastructure, raise
public awareness, and investigate options
for the long-term management of electronic
waste.
Increasing recycling infrastructure will
ensure recyclers have the capacity and capability
to deal with increased volumes of televisions.
Through a Government
subsidy, the cost to the public to recycle
a television will be no more than $5.
Residents in each region
will be advised of the various recycling
options via local promotional campaigns
and online.
Televisions dropped
off for recycling will be taken to national
recycling facilities to be taken apart.
Components are recycled locally or sent
to specialist facilities overseas.
The recycled material
has a variety of uses. For example, glass
from a television screen can be transformed
into bunker sand for golf courses or used
in roading aggregate.
The initiative is backed
by the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund.
The fund provides financial support to projects
which increase resource efficiency and decrease
the amount of waste going to landfill. Money
for the fund comes from a waste levy charged
on waste disposed of at landfills.
To date, the Government
has allocated $43 million in funding for
82 projects through the fund.
For information about
where televisions can be taken to be recycled
go to: www.tvtakeback.govt.nz/where-can-i-recycle
TV TakeBack Q and A:
What is TV TakeBack?
The TV TakeBack programme
aims to divert televisions from going to
landfill in an initiative that involves
the Government partnering with a range of
recyclers and retailers to provide a nationwide
network of subsidised options.
The initiative is backed
by the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund.
The programme is also designed to encourage
the recycling of televisions and increase
investment in New Zealand’s recycling capacity.
When is TV TakeBack
coming to each region?
The TV TakeBack programme
coincides with New Zealand’s switch from
analogue to digital television (Going Digital).
TV TakeBack starts in the South Island on
25 March. It will be available in the lower
North Island and Auckland by July this year,
and the rest of the North Island from September.
The first phase of TV
TakeBack started in October last year in
Hawke’s Bay and the West Coast - the first
two regions to go digital. More than 20,000
televisions were collected for recycling.
Where can I take my
television to be recycled?
A list of drop off points
in TV TakeBack regions is available at www.tvtakeback.govt.nz/where-can-i-recycle
Why is it important
to recycle unwanted televisions?
Televisions contain
materials like lead that are hazardous to
the environment and health so they shouldn’t
be dumped in landfills or into the environment,
but recycled responsibly. Recycling also
reduces waste going to landfill.
Televisions contain
many materials which can be recycled into
other products, such as copper, metals and
glass.
What happens when a
television is dropped off to be recycled?
Televisions are taken
to national recycling facilities, where
they are taken apart and the components
(such as copper and steel) are recycled
locally or safely exported overseas to be
recycled.
Where do the components
from unwanted televisions end up?
• Metals such as steel
are melted down and made into new products
such as construction material
• Copper wire is removed and recycled in
New Zealand
• Circuit boards are recycled overseas
• Aluminium is removed and recycled in New
Zealand
• Copper around the electron gun can be
recycled into new products
• Degaussing wire that sits around the front
of the screen is high grade iron that can
be recycled into metal goods, such as nails,
nuts and bolts
Why is there a charge
for taking a television to be recycled?
Although many components
from an old television can be recycled,
the value of the material that can be recovered
is currently less than the cost of transport
and recycling.
Is TV TakeBack just
about televisions?
This programme provides
money to reduce public charges for recycling,
to improve recycling infrastructure and
raise public awareness.
Increasing recycling
infrastructure will ensure recyclers have
capacity and capability to deal with increased
volumes of televisions. The Government is
also investigating options for the long
term management of electronic waste.
How can I be sure TV
TakeBack will recycle old televisions responsibly?
All participating recyclers
must follow the Ministry for the Environment’s
guidelines for collecting and recycling
e-waste, or the Australian-New Zealand Standard
for collection, storage, transport and treatment
of electrical and electronic equipment.
Recyclers must report
on where all collected materials have gone.
The Ministry for the Environment will be
doing audits to make sure these are being
followed correctly.
All participating recyclers will be required
to obtain the necessary consents to ensure
they follow proper procedures when they
export e-waste.
