by Katie Lamborn

Kent's TV owners are discarding their sets in their droves, according to a Sittingbourne recycling firm.

It comes after the owner of Currys and PC World reported that a PC or TV was sold every two seconds over Christmas - with like-for-like sales up by eight per cent.

Now Sweeep, an electronics recycling company in Sittingbourne, claims it has seen the effect of this.

It said the number of old TVs being dumped has gone up by a third since Christmas.

Justin Greenaway, contracts manager at the plant, said it had been getting in 4,000 sets a day.

He said: "We've had to put on an extra shift, so we're working 24 hours a day."

"Everyone wants a new, shiny flat panel screen. I mean it's understandable everyone wants to keep up with the Jones's! The old fashioned glass televisions are big and bulky."

The plant recycles all electronics, from washing machines to electric toothbrushes.

"Anything electrical can be recycled," says Mr Greenaway.

"Inside the electronics there are some really good raw materials, which are a real sin to be throwing into the bin. Here, we can recycle using renewable energy."

A lot of the broken products at Sweeep get turned back into electronics because of the quality of raw materials in

them.

"There are materials like platinum, gold and copper and these really are diminishing earth resources."

At the moment we have to go to local council dump to get rid of broken electricals, but soon it will be even easier.

A new scheme, starting in Medway, will see containers outside supermarkets - where people can leave smaller electricals like kettles and toasters.

According to Sweeep, only 14 per cent of smaller items are being recycled.

For more information about recycling and to find your nearest dump go to www.recyclenow.co.uk