TONNES of televisions were taken to the city’s recycling site over Christmas and New Year as people ditched old for new.
People used pre-Christmas sales to switch to digital and flat-screen TVs, leaving staff at Raynesway recycling site, in Derby, with a huge number of the old sets to dispose of.
In total, there were 62 tonnes of televisions taken to the tip in December 2011, compared with 35 tonnes the previous year.
They will now be collected by the organisation Recycling Lives and recycled in the UK.
Thirty-five tonnes of cardboard were taken to Raynesway in the same month as packaging for electronic equipment joined the old sets on the trip to the tip.
That was up from 30 tonnes the previous year.
Piles of other electrical equipment were also dropped off. They included nearly 42 tonnes of small appliances such as hair-dryers and straighteners, 25 tonnes of large electrical items, such as cookers, and 11 tonnes of fridges and freezers.
They are all up on the amount received in previous years and will go to metal recyclers. There was evidence that many received new clothes for Christmas and used the opportunity for a wardrobe clear-out, with nearly 18 tonnes of textiles collected.
The fabric will be taken to JMP Wilcox at Bilston for recycling and re-use.
Nearly four tonnes of glass, much of it from drinks bottles, were collected – up from three tonnes in the same month the year before.
The glass will be taken to Berrymans Glass processors in Doncaster.
There was also a large rise in the amount of green waste taken to Raynesway compared with December 2010, which could be due to the milder temperatures this winter. Nearly 88 tonnes of it were collected, up from 18 tonnes the year before, and will be taken to composting sites across Derbyshire.
Councillor Chris Poulter, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “Yet again the residents of Derby have demonstrated their commitment to recycling by bringing their unwanted textiles, cardboard, TVs, Christmas trees and other items to Raynesway this Christmas.
“This helps to reduce fly-tipping and keep the city looking clean and tidy.
“The money that the council receives from selling textiles, cardboard, scrap metal and other items is used to offset the cost of refuse collection and disposal and to reduce the cost to council taxpayers. “I would like to thank all those residents who have taken the time to recycle their waste by bringing it to Raynesway or using their blue bins and bags and the new orange bags; their efforts mean that 48% of all waste is recycled, making Derby one of the best-performing cities in the country.”
Source: Waste World Management
KIRSTY GREEN
Derby Evening Telegraph