Residents are being urged to recycle their unwanted analogue televisions at the Gillies Street Transfer Station for free ahead of the digital switch-over on Thursday 5 May.

City of Ballarat Portfolio Councillor for Growth and Development Noel Perry said Council was expecting hundreds of residents to take advantage of the free initiative.

“While people can purchase a set top box to digitally enable their current televisions, many are opting to purchase a complete new digital television which will mean hundreds of television will be left unwanted.

“We want to avoid televisions being left lying around. Televisions consist of heavy metals such as lead - these metals have the capacity to leach into the ground water and potentially pollute the environment.

“Council is urging  residents to do the right thing by the environment and  recycle their anologue televisions at the Gillies Street Transfer Station.”

Residents can recycle their televisions free of charge until July 2012.

Once at the Gillies Street Transfer Station the television set gets broken down and many of the parts are sent off for recycling.