OK, WE’RE 100% DIGITAL. NOW WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH ALL THOSE OLD TV’S?

This blog is about plastic, but the longer we are involved in the green movement the more apparent our disposal of almost everything that we use has to be examined, discussed, & improved!

OK, we’re a 100% digital.  Now what?  In others words, what is going to happen to all of those “old” TV’s?  The truth is most of us are terrible at recycling and reusing ANYTHING . . . take plastic bags, for example.  It’s once and done.  Impact on the environment . . . say what?

So, how many TV’s are headed to the dump?  This is from a past article written in Popular Mechanics:

[…]

How many CRT televisions are out there? It’s hard to say. People don’t always dispose of old televisions. Many still work, but have been pushed into attics or closets by fresh-off-the-shelf HDTVs.

… Environmental Protection Agency estimates on televisions are staggering. The EPA has sales figures back to 1980, and since then, 704.9 million CRT televisions have been sold in the U.S. An estimated 42.4 percent of those are still in use.

• In 2008, the EPA estimates that 23.9 million tube TVs will be disposed of by Americans (that’s 711,029 tons of televisions).
  
• Numbers for end-of-life TVs have been over 20 million per year since 2005, and are expected to go up to almost 25 million by 2010.
  
• Compare this to 10 years ago, when the numbers were closer to 12 million sets disposed of per year.

Most of us rarely give a thought to the components that are used to manufacture the electronics we use. It’s probably time for us to grow up because our actions . . . or should I say our thoughtless actions have consequences! We need to give some thought as to the disposal of our old analog sets AND other electronics that no longer work from the switch to digital.

This is from Peachy Green:

Each cathode ray picture tube releases  three to eight pounds of lead into the environment as well as  mercury, cadmium and other toxic substances. So it is really important that you do the right thing with your old set.

If not disposed of properly, analog TV sets can dangerously contaminate air soil and groundwater.

Don’t let one of them be yours. Recycle instead. It’s easy and with so many TV sets being discarded, it can make a big difference to preserving the environment.

Don’t know where to go for the information about responsibly disposing of your old TV? Check out …  Earth911.com . . . it great!  Put your zip code in and the site will give you information about where to recycle in your area!