The changeover from analogue to digital television in the Illawarra is going to be great for viewing quality, but it could be something of a mini environmental disaster.Consider the sad tale outlined in a letter to the editor in the Mercury recently. “Shame on the morons who dumped the two large TVs on the walkway between Junction Rd and Blacks Beach, Barrack Point,” the understandably irate correspondent wrote.She went on to explain just what kind of damage old television sets can do to the environment, with their toxic cocktail of lead, chromium and mercury among the highly polluting nasties, along with the smashed glass and plastic from these two abandoned television sets.Morons indeed. And, unfortunately, they are all too common.One of my friends lives on a rural road west of Kiama, and he says it has become a favourite dumping ground for people who want to get rid of their old televisions. It used to be stolen cars which were regularly driven to his quiet country road and set alight. Now it’s old television sets.And it’s a problem that’s going to get worse as we near the switch-over date for the transition from analogue to digital television, scheduled for June next year. Obviously, over the next eight months a lot of people will be swapping their analogue televisions in favour of the much lighter and generally far superior digital equipment.It is an unfortunate feature of our so-called “throw away” society that people do just that – throw things away instead of disposing of them properly. Of course, it isn’t restricted to electronic equipment. People seem to think it is okay to dump furniture, curtains, old carpet and whatever else on the side of the road or next to a charity collection bin, simply to avoid paying the few dollars due if they took their load to the council refuse and recycling centre. Pathetic, isn’t it? Especially when the Illawarra has its own fabulous solution to the problem of what to do with old television sets or other unwanted electronic equipment such as computers.It’s a wonderful organisation called Renewable Recyclers that will take your old electronic equipment, strip it down into all its component parts and then recycle them. It also refurbishes computers for community organisations or for people who can’t afford a new one.Renewable Recyclers is in Ralph Black Dr at North Wollongong, and it’s the kind of organisation that restores your faith in human nature (sorely tested by the morons who think it is okay to dump television sets in public places).It’s a not-for-profit organisation that is dealing with two big issues of our times: the difficulty people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds have finding employment and the growing tide of e-waste.In its own words, Renewable Recyclers ‘‘diverts toxic e-waste from landfill, recovers precious natural finite resources and creates jobs within the community for those who are experiencing barriers to mainstream employment’’.What’s more, it will even come and collect your unwanted electronic equipment. There is a small charge, but that is only fair considering the fantastic service it is providing the community – and the environment.Check it out at www.renewablerecyclers.org.au, or call 1300 594636. Inspiring stuff!Nick Hartgerink is a former Mercury editor who has been running his own media consultancy business since 2001.