The steady stream of electronic waste dropped off by the community in Frankton is expected to become a tidal wave as more Wakatipu homes, hotels, schools and businesses upgrade their televisions for the digital switchover.
Wanaka Wastebusters spokeswoman Gina Dempster said the RCN e-Cycle trial at the Frankton Refuse Station on Glenda Dr was "going well" one year and a month since the initiative was launched.
"More and more TVs are coming in, something we're also seeing in Wanaka. Computers and printers are also popular."
Ms Dempster said Wastebusters was "rapt" Heritage Queenstown was e-cycling more than four tonnes of old cathode ray tube televisions, which contain elements toxic to the environment, as part of its refurbishment. The community-owned organisation hoped more businesses would follow its lead.
The Ministry for the Environment launched its "TV Take Back programme" in Hawkes Bay and the West Coast late last month to stop old TVs from being dumped. The programme will be introduced nationwide as regions get closer to going digital in 2013.
"We expect RCN e-Cycle depots will be part of that programme, including Queenstown and Wanaka," Ms Dempster said. "We have had some preliminary discussion with [the council] about the current RCN e-Cycle site in Queenstown being a TV Take Back site."
