Expert: Switchover to increase TV dumping

A leading recycling expert has predicted that the forthcoming switchover from analogue to digital television in the UK will result in an increase in TV sets being dumped.

Scott Butler, the general manager of the European Recycling Platform, oversees the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) compliance scheme and told Materials Recycling Weekly that the switchover will trigger a large number of people to upgrade their television equipment, potentially just throwing their old sets away in the process.

Despite the fact that disposal of analogue TVs is not required under the switchover plans, Butler still expects to see more instances of wastage.

"Cumbria was the first place to switchover and there was statistical evidence from there that showed that some people got rid of their old analogue TVs for new digital ones," he said.

"But it is difficult to say in this economic climate whether people will start to throw away their analogue TVs or just get a box which would be cheaper."

Business and economics minister Ian Pearson recently reiterated during parliamentary questions that the "digital switchover does not require disposal of any equipment", because existing analogue television sets can be upgraded with a digital set-top box.