Handing back old television sets for recycling has been so popular in the Waitaki district that extra quota has been needed to cope.
Since the TV TakeBack scheme started in the district on April 10, 896 televisions have been handed in - the district's full quota.
However, an additional quota of 250 sets had been secured for subsidy under the Government scheme, Waitaki Resource Recovery Park business manager Dave Clare said yesterday.
That would enable the scheme to continue in the Waitaki district. Televisions could be dropped off at resource recovery sites in Oamaru, Hampden, Palmerston, Kurow, Otematata and Omarama.
''This will be beneficial for the Waitaki community with the $5 subsidised collection continuing, and beneficial to the environment by ensuring correct, safe recycling of old TVs,'' he said.
Televisions contained materials such as lead, which can leach into soil and water and have harmful effects on the environment and human health.
Recycling TVs made sure hazardous materials were dealt with safely and materials such as copper, steel and glass retrieved to be used again.
On April 28, the South Island switched to digital television making some of the old analogue sets redundant.
The television sets are shrink-wrapped in Oamaru and sent to Christchurch, where RCN e-Cycle, one of the organisations partnering with the Government, will dismantle them for recycling.
The $5 cost of handing in the sets is a considerable saving on the usual $28 charge in the Waitaki district.
Once the quota is met, the charge will return to the normal rate.
