As the national switch from analog to digital takes place today, June 12, you may wonder what to do with your analog television. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging waste reduction as a first option, suggesting that Americans with analog TVs either purchase a converter box or subscribe to a paid service like cable or satellite television.
If you don’t want to keep your analog TV, recycling is highly recommended. The inner components of TVs contain several hazardous substances like lead and hexavalent chromium, which can leach into the environment if TVs are disposed of in landfills.
Recycling locations can be found in several ways.
- Check with your local household hazardous waste collection and recycling program for pickup times or events.
- The EPA organized a campaign with several TV manufacturers to provide hundreds of locations to drop off televisions either for free or with a fee. Program participants include Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba.
- Earth911.com has a recycling database that allows you to find a recycling location near you. Earth911 also has a new iPhone application, iRecycle that allows you to enter your current location and find several places to drop off you TV, such as Office Depot, Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity.
The EPA has calculated that back in 2007, Americans accumulated 99 million TVs in storage and threw out almost 27 million. Only 18 percent were recycled, the EPA notes.
The Houston Chronicle reported June 11 that the Texas Legislature has approved a bill requiring TV manufacturers to provide free recycling programs and blocking Texas retailers from selling TVs that don't fit in with the initiative. The Television TakeBack Bill is awaiting Governor Rick Perry's signature, the paper said.
