WASTE METALS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 120, 14 February 1941, Page 9

WASTE METALS

Slackening Of Public Effort LIGHT BULB CAPS ’ WANTED In its latest bulletin, the National Council for tlie Reclamation of AVaste Material again urges the collection of tlie brass tops of electric light bulbs, and quotes a statement by Dr. E. I’. Neale, Auckland, honorary secretary of tlie Auckland provincial board, that Auckland should yield some 150,000 such brass caps in three months, instead of the 15 gross actually forthcoming. Dr. Neale’s report reads as follows :—

“According to official statistics New Zealand uses annually approximately 4,000.000 incandescent filament electric lamp bulbs. Assuming that the consumption of electric lamps in tlie different districts was proportional to population, one would expect the Auckland metropolitan area to consume approximately 600,000 lamps a year. If in the metropolitan area all discarded electric lamp bulbs were broken under cover of paper and the caps handed in at tlie waste metal depots one would therefore expect .150,000 to have come in during the three months of the non-ferrous waste metals collection, with substantial benefit to the patriotic funds. Actually only about 15 gross were handed to the official waste metal collections. "It would seem that despite constant Press and radio appeals for brass lamp caps, only one out of every 75 such caps available has been sent in. These figures show that the possibilities of salvage of waste metals iu New Zealand have only been scratched; though it must be conceded that some discarded brass lamp caps are disposed of by householders to representatives of the waste metal collecting trade. It is hoped that members of the public will retain all their lamp caps and other non-ferrous waste metals in anticipation of the collections in 1941.” Slackening of Effort. The bulletin states that returns which have reached the council indicate a tapering oil in the effort to collect nonferrous metals, which, of course, was to be expected during the months of December and January. Unfortunately, the international situation does not warrant any slackening of New Zealand's efforts; present conditions call for a renewal of the drive for essential metals. It is believed that there is still a large quantity available from old accumulations not yet donated, as well as from accretions since earlier collections were made. The council urges all concerned to endeavour to have these gathered iu. The demand for metals is still as insistent as when the campaign was first launched, and there is a ready market for all that can be collected. It is desired that a fresh campaign be launched at all points to meet the demand for metals and to assist the present drive for £1,000,000 for patriotic purposes. In addition to the a ripen 1 for brass, copper, aluminium, lead, tin and zine, in the commonly known forms, special prominence should be given to such commodities as collapsible tubes used as containers for shaving creams, tooth paste, etc., brass keys, and brass tops of electric light globes.