The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, wants more firms and retailers to voluntarily provide ‘take back’ services – where people can hand in their old televisions when they buy new ones.
According to the LGA, two million TVs are thrown out annually and many are fly-tipped. The problem typically escalates around the festive period, as the sale of new televisions increases.
Latest figures show local authorities dealt with 850,000 incidents in 2013/14, which is an increase of 20 per cent from the previous year. This equates to more than one incident every minute and costs councils almost £50 million annually. Enforcement alone costs local authorities nearly £20 million a year and councils want to be able to recover all their prosecution costs after taking fly-tippers to court.
Clarity Environmental Project Manager, Vikkie Fitzgerald, said:
“Fly-tipping electrical goods is not only unsightly, it also puts the environment and wildlife at risk. It is shocking that so many old televisions are being thoughtlessly disposed of when there are so many recycling opportunities available. Whilst an old television may seem worthless to some, they are in fact full of valuable materials.
With so many recycling sites across the country that will recycle broken or unwanted electrical goods, and reputable companies who offer collections, there is simply no excuse for irresponsible disposal of waste electricals. We must ensure there is clear information on where the public should take their unwanted or broken electrical goods, as well as education about the harm that fly-tipping does to our environment.”
Dispose of your waste responsibly. Our Recycle with Clarity initiative has a network of partner sites across the UK that will take old and unwanted electrical items for recycling and we also work with charities that will refurbish and re-use items in good working condition. Find a site to recycle your old, broken or unwanted electrical and electronics.
