Television Recycling

Not many people know that television recycling is a reality and not a myth.

Like other electronic products, TVs too can be recycled. However, many people believe that it’s time consuming and a harrowing process to have your TV set recycled.

If you do not practice tv recycling, there is a danger of toxin materials from your disposed television set being released into the environment and causing damage our eco system beyond imagination. This is especially true for old analog televisions which contain high amounts of mercury in their picture tubes.

In fact, televisions are amongst the largest contributors to the ever rising problem of e-waste. That’s because they contain batteries, circuit boards and display tubes which are contain hazardous materials, such as mercury and lead.

So if you don’t want your old TV anymore, don’t just throw it away, contact your community recycling program to get it recycled.

Many agencies worldwide carry out television recycling.

If you are a resident of Lake Country, Illinois, you should contact the Solid Waste Agency of Lake Country (also known as SWALCO) for recycling your TV.

There are also plenty of volunteer programs which can help you out – one such website is Earth911.com – just type “televisions” and your zip code, and it can show you a list of recycling centers near you.

e-Steward is another very popular television recycling service which maintains exemplary standards for environmental and social responsibility. You can also consider donating your old analog television sets to charitable organizations instead of dumping them (that’s reusing, an important component in the waste reduction hierarchy).

Many tv recycling companies dismantle the unwanted TVs into their reusable parts, by shredding and segregating metals from the circuit boards and removing plastic and metals from the Cathode Ray Tubes (or CRTs). The ferrous and non-ferrous materials are also segregated. Subsequently, these materials are then sent for recycling or reusing.

Television recycling is a positive step to stem the flow of toxins into our environment and subsequently into our bodies (through the water system or even the food we eat).

As consumers, we have an important role to play in motivating manufacturers to not only develop televisions which are environment friendly (eg. energy efficient) but also promote television recycling , especially for old analog sets. And we can do so through our consumption patterns, such as through supporting manufacturers that go green, or through purchasing eco-friendly products.

The TV is a great source of information, but if we do not take care to ensure its proper use and dispose (and recycling), the TV can become a huge source of irreparable damage to our environmental. So let’s act today and help preserve our environment.

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