TV change may worsen recycling problem

[marmar]

via the Detroit Free Press:




TV change may worsen recycling problem
BY ELIZABETH WEISE • USA TODAY • February 3, 2009


EL CERRITO, Calif. -- When the hatch popped open on Louis Cornelius' SUV, there were four TVs piled up in the back, all destined for recycling. "My wife wanted to be up-to-date on the electronics," he says.

Sumiko Flodin's 35-year-old TV "still works," but she bought a new 19-inch set and wanted to empty out her living room. "I don't like the idea of having all this stuff hanging around."

For Cornelius and Flodin, who attended an electronic waste recycling event on a chilly Saturday, the motivation was simple -- cleaning up. But for the Environmental Protection Agency and activists worried about soil, water and air pollution, it's more complicated.

Televisions carelessly trashed can be toxic to the environment. There is a huge backlog of unused old ones (99.1 million, says the EPA) sitting around in people's homes.

And later this year -- either on Feb. 17 or on June 12 if Congress passes a delay -- the United States will switch from analog to digital TV transmission. The number of unwanted TVs will rise even higher as consumers upgrade to sets capable of receiving high-definition broadcasts. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.freep.com/article/20090203/FEATURES01/902030315/1025/FEATURES/TV+change+may+worsen+recycling+problem

[MADem]

1. I don't think those flat screen TVS are worth the money. At least not yet.

If you're sitting off to one side, you can't see the picture for shit. I have a flat screen CRT TV, and you can see the picture beautifully at an angle. Problem is, the thing weighs a TON so it isn't very portable. However, we'll use it until it wears out. We've had it for eight or so years, and had it fixed once. Incredible picture. Brilliant, true color.

It replaced a TV that we had for twenty some odd years, and that thing still works, too--we've got that in another room. It too has a very acceptable picture, though not as good as the newer TV.

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.