Amy Adams8 MAY, 2013
- Environment Minister Amy Adams today announced
that more than 50,000 televisions have been
collected for recycling as part of the Government’s
TV TakeBack programme.
“When I announced the
start of the recycling programme, I challenged
New Zealanders to play their part in caring
for the environment. The response at this
early stage of the scheme has been very
encouraging.
“Old televisions are
a difficult recycling challenge, but through
people thinking about the environment, we
have stopped hundreds of tonnes of harmful
material going to landfill.”
The TV TakeBack programme
aims to divert televisions from going to
landfill in an initiative that involves
the Government partnering with a range of
councils, recyclers and retailers to provide
a nationwide network of subsidised options.
The programme was launched
in September last year in Hawke’s Bay and
the West Coast, where more than 23,000 televisions
were collected.
It was then extended
to the rest of the South Island in March,
with about 28,000 televisions collected
so far, including about 6000 that had been
damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes.
The TV TakeBack programme
coincides with New Zealand’s switch from
analogue to digital television.
The initiative will
be rolled out to the lower North Island
and the East Cape by August, and the rest
of the North Island from October, to coincide
with the digital switchover in each region.
Through a Government
subsidy, the cost to the public of recycling
a television has been no more than $5.
The programme is also
aimed at expanding electronic recycling
services across New Zealand, raising public
awareness and ensuring recyclers have the
capacity and capability to deal with increased
volumes of e-waste in the future.
+ More
New tools launched to
help manage hazardous substances
Amy Adams29 MAY, 2013
- Environment Minister Amy Adams has today
launched a new multimedia toolbox to help
businesses understand and manage the risks
posed by hazardous substances.
Ms Adams says research
shows that every year approximately 500-800
New Zealanders die due to industrial illness,
many due to exposure to hazardous substances.
“There are procedures
in place to protect people from the risks
posed by hazardous substances, but a recent
survey has shown only 25 per cent of businesses
comply with best practice. That is simply
not good enough.”
The Environmental Protection
Authority created the toolbox to raise awareness
among small and medium sized businesses
about the risks of working with hazardous
substances such as paints, solvents and
liquid agrichemicals.
The toolbox includes:
A guide to working safely
with hazardous substances
An online calculator that allows businesses
to enter a list of their hazardous substances
and learn what key controls they need in
place Posters reminding workers about the
health impacts of being exposed to hazardous
substances and the meaning of chemical labels
Five animated safety videos designed to
convey key safety messages to staff; and
An easy reference emergency response plan
“Exposure to hazardous substances is largely
preventable with the right combination of
education, enforcement and greater investment
by industry in modernising safety systems.
“Businesses and workers
need to make themselves more aware of the
simple actions they can take to prevent
exposure to hazardous substances.”
To order a free toolbox go to: www.hazardoussubstances.govt.nz/toolbox
or phone 0800 376 234.
