Seems like half of Melbourne has got a new flat screen TV or computer monitor, judging from the number of CRTs left around the streets.
In my view, you shouldn’t just dump them on the nature strip.
Assuming it’s working, ask around to see if a charity somewhere wants it. Or list it on Freecycle so someone who wants one can come and get it.
If as a last resort it goes onto the nature strip (and of course you should attach the remote and any other accessories to it in a bag), and nobody’s taken it within a few days, don’t just leave it to get rain-damaged and litter up the street. Get it taken away — in a lot of council areas (including here in Glen Eira), you can request hard rubbish collection on-demand, for free.
9 replies on “Getting rid of old TVs”
City of Port Phillip have an electronic waste recycling centre for local residents, but no questions are asked.
Hope these folks get their policies and programs in place soon:
http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/waste/ewaste/
M!
hah i just blogged about this myself, though more about the furniture and crap tht gets left out. It sh*ts me to tears the amount of stuff that is left out lately. Grrr.
In Bayside, I took our old CRT to the council rubbish tip (sorry, waste transfer station) and had to pay $5. Fair enough – it’s rubbish. No wonder people leave them on nature strips.
Yeah, Moonee Valley has an electronics recycle for free as well, and no questions asked. They will also pick them up as part of our annual hard rubbish collection.
I’ve seen TVs left out complete with users manual and remote control, then some desperate comes along and cuts off the power cord in order to harvest the copper. FFS. Working CRTs are still usable & wanted by some folk, especially combined with a set-top-box.
I am kind of in two minds about this. It depends where you live. In places with a high student population you can leave stuff on the footpath and it will be gone within a day. I see this as a great form of recycling. It’s how I got heaps of furniture and other stuff over the years and how I got rid of it.
But where I live in Preston, things like TVs and all sorts of stuff sit there for ages because everyone around here doesn’t want them. But I’ve picked up some great old 70s chairs and have seen some great furniture around here that goes quickly.
But I agree with being responsible. If it sat there for more than a couple of days I’d dispose of it myself. TVs & electronics are particularly painful as the minute they get wet noone will touch them and they’ll sit there for ages.
I seem to pass TVs sitting by the curb no matter which residential street I walk down in my area. Sometimes the screen has been smashed leaving a terrible broken glass mess on the sidewalk/footpath waiting for days or weeks someone to clean up. If the TV still works I would think the owner could try to get a few bucks for it at Cash Converters.
I also see empty boxes from new Plasma and LCD sets left carelessly by the curb too. This is a great way to alert potential thieves to the shiny new electronics that can be found inside the home. One should always turn the box inside out or cut it up to avoid this.
I don’t blame people for not touching wet TVs, they could give you a nasty belt! I’m considering making ‘take the old TV away when you deliver the new one’ part of the contract. The apartment rubbish collectors are getting ropable about them getting put in the skips.