DISPOSE of your old TV, computer, printer or scanner this weekend and you could
save money and the environment.
At Swan Hill Landfill from 9am to 4pm on
Saturday and Sunday all e-waste will be accepted free of charge.
Usually
costing up to $25 per unit, Central Murray Waste Management Group’s (CMWMG)
Karen Fazzari said it was a great opportunity for Swan Hill and surrounding
areas.
“Most of us have stockpiles sitting around that we don’t need, and
this way the majority of it can actually be recycled,” Ms Fazzari told The
Guardian.
Swan Hill Rural City Council waste enforcement officer David Soutar
said e-waste could be costly to the environment, if not disposed of
responsibly.
“TVs and computer screens can contain heavy metals including
lead, mercury and cadmium which are dangerous to people, wildlife and the
surrounding environment when disposed of incorrectly,” he said.
All unwanted
electronics will be accepted, then transported to Melbourne by shipping
container, dismantled and recycled for use in manufacturing new products.
Amid the accelerating pace of technological change, the amount of e-waste
illegally dumped or illegally disposed in landfill has continued to
surge.
During a free disposal period lasting one month in Swan Hill in 2011,
shortly after the analogue TV signals in the region were switched off, 2982
units were surrendered.
The National Television and Computer Recycling
Scheme, funded and run by the television and computer industry, will fund this
weekend’s initiative for the first time, organised jointly by CMWMG, council and
Elwaste.
