tv takeback reborn

Environment Victoria and the Total Environment Centre have launched a new website, Reborn, in their campaign for a national e-waste recycling scheme. In April Environment Victoria contacted me to support a TV Take Back (e-waste) recycling scheme. There are many benefits and I was pleased to move a motion for Yarra Ranges to support the campaign (see blog) which was supported unanimously.

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If we are genuine about moving towards a zero waste society we must move quickly to implement a national e-waste recycling scheme. E-waste is growing at three times the rate of general waste even though there is a significant market opportunity for recycling old TVs. A recent study by VECCI conservatively indicated that the e-waste recycling market was worth around $50million per annum.

Recycling old TVs would be of great benefit by removing heavy metals from our landfill sites and recycling would also enable recovery of some of the more scarce materials that go into the make up of televisions.

As part of the campaign, a sticker has been produced so concerned citizens can make their mark by plastering them on e-waste piled up on countless nature strips throughout Melbourne waiting for hard rubbish collection. The sticker is to raise awareness about Reborn and to highlight that e-waste could be recycled. If you'd like some stickers email your address to: oldtv@envict.org.au.
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What else can you do to help? Write to the federal Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett and the state Minister too, Gavin Jennings to tell them you support a national e-waste recycling sytem and they should too.

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tv take back scheme

report from the roundtable - 28th April
Environment Victoria are seeking support for a campaign for a national program on a TV Take Back scheme. It is a very worthwhile campaign and I was pleased to bring it to the attention of councillors at Yarra Ranges by moving the following motion:

That Council:
1. Support the introduction of a national “TV Take Back” scheme to ensure old televisions are recycled.
2. Write to the Victorian Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Innovation, Gavin Jennings, and the Federal Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, calling for a decision at the May 2009 Meeting of the Environment Protection & Heritage Council to introduce a national “TV Take Back” scheme.
3. Submit a motion at the May 2009 Municipal Association of Victoria State Council in support of a national extended responsibility scheme on televisions.

How many of these are in landfills across the country? We can and should be recycling our TVs to recover the energy and materials that goes into making them, and to stop toxins going into landfill.

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In speaking to the motion I explained that the changeover to the digital age for televisions had seen an increase in the amount of television sets thrown out. Certainly the recent hard waste collection in my local area had many, many televisions out on the naturestrip. The tragedy at the moment is that televisions are currently disposed of in landfill sites.

E-waste is growing at three times the rate of general waste even though there is a significant market opportunity for recycling old TVs. A recent study by VECCI conservatively indicated that the e-waste recycling market was worth around $50million per annum.

Recycling old TVs would be of great benefit by removing heavy metals from our landfill sites and recycling would also be enable recovery of some of the more scarce materials that go into the make up of televisions.

A TV Take Back Scheme fits well within the aspirations of our community which is well articulated in Vision2020, our community wants to work to a Zero waste society and a recyling scheme like this is one of the steps along the way to achieving that goal.

I am pleased to say that my motion was supported unanimously and I look forward to hearing how the motion to support the TV Tack Back Scheme goes at the upcoming Municipal Association of Victoria State Council meeting in May.