Photo: Jade Desumala

With the World Cup just a few days away, many people will be thinking about replacing their television sets in time for several weeks of intensive footy watching.

Now Tower Hamlets Council is reminding those who buy new televisions in time for the Cup  to use local recycling facilities to dispose of their old ones.

Residents can take old televisions to the Northumberland Wharf Recycling Centre on the Isle of Dogs, along with any other old and unwanted electrical items.

Jamie Blake, head of Public Realm at Tower Hamlets Council, said: “People often wonder what they should do with their old TVs, hi-fis and computers. The answer is simple – take them to Northumberland Wharf to be recycled.”

Each month approximately 30 tonnes of electrical items are collected at the Northumberland Wharf site. They are then taken to a sorting centre in Birmingham where their components can be extracted and reused.

Refuse that can be taken for recycling at Northumberland Wharf includes large objects such as computer monitors, bikes, garden waste and scrap metal, as well as smaller items that cannot be disposed of with household waste, such as batteries, paint, engine oil and mobile phones.

Those with big or heavy items to recycle can get rid of their waste through free council collections, arranged by entering contact details on the authority’s website. Blake explains: “If the items are too big or heavy to transport, residents can take advantage of the council’s free bulky items collections service, so it couldn’t be easier.”

The Northumberland Wharf Recycling Centre can be found in Yabsley Street, E14, and is open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, or 9am to 6pm at weekends. Around 50 additional local recycling centres are located throughout the borough for other smaller items.

Tower Hamlets residents can find information about recycling, and online forms for the collection service, on the council’s website.