However, Wanaka Wastebusters general manager Sue Coutts said Southern Lakes householders and commercial operators can still responsibly dispose of their unwanted, TVs, computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, mobile telephones and computer peripherals in Wanaka and Queenstown.
A shipping container loaded with about 100 televisions, plus assorted computer hardware, awaited yesterday the weekly collection by Wanaka Wastebusters from the Queenstown Transfer Station.
It is the last load towards the total of 675 television sets, weighing 23.63 tonnes, disposed of under TV Takeback by the Wakatipu public since the programme began in April.
The volume was significantly more than the 6.49 tonnes of electronic waste dropped off in 2012-13 and the eight tonnes dropped off on the last e-Day collection in 2010.
Wanaka Wastebusters received 960 sets weighing 23.63 tonnes by the end of TV Take Back in Wanaka. Its total followed the 17.5 tonnes of e-waste deposited in 2012-13 and the 5.53 tonnes collected on e-Day in 2010.
E-waste is transported to Christchurch for environmentally safe dismantling, instead of being dumped in landfills to release poisonous materials into the soil and water table.
E-cycle charges at both transfer stations revert to $25 for all TVs, $15 for a cathode ray tube monitor, $12 for a LCD monitor, $5 for a laptop, $12 for a printer, $5 for a desktop box and from $46 for a photocopier.
In Clutha, 450 televisions were received as part of the scheme - 61% of the original 740 cap set for the district.
Clutha District Council waste minimisation officer Laura Gourley said the drive was ''quite successful'' and began with a bang as 108 televisions were dropped off in the first four days.
Environment Minister Amy Adams marked the 100,000th television to be collected for TV Takeback by taking her own worn-out television to a recycling facility earlier this month.
In Central Otago, 1397 televisions were disposed of through the takeback scheme. Central Otago WasteBusters received the televisions after they were collected at transfer stations in Alexandra, Cromwell, Ranfurly and Roxburgh.
WasteBusters general manager Trevor Goudie said the organisation dealt with e-waste, although televisions would cost $25 to dispose of now the subsidy had been removed.
Since the TV Takeback scheme started in the Waitaki district in early April, 1800 televisions have been handed in at recycling centres in Oamaru, Hampden, Palmerston, Kurow, Otematata and Omarama.
Initially, Waitaki had funding for 896 televisions, but extra funding was received for a larger quota due to its popularity.
