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How To Dispose Of Your Old TV Responsibly

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Jun 19, 2009 5:47 pm US/Eastern

How To Dispose Of Your Old TV Responsibly

Reporting
Yvonne Zanos
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The digital age of television is here.

Many consumers are buying the new thinner sharper TVs, sticking the old analog televisions in the basement.

The question is now what do you do with them?

"Well, that's the big question," said Thomas Stanko of Canonsburg. "What am I going to do with them?"

"Drive along real fast and throw them out the back door," suggests Bob Beech of Bethel Park. He's kidding, but says it's difficult to know what to do with them.

When Donna Bickar of Mt. Lebanon got her new television, she asked her husband about the old one.

"I said isn't there somewhere we can take this TV? He said no I'm just going to put it out for the rubbish man."

"That's hearsay," quips her husband and laughs.

We all suspect TVs don't belong in the trash, but do you know why?

"The average picture tube contains anywhere from four to eight pounds of lead. This material has to be handled in a very specific way," explains Dave Mazza of the Pennsylvania Resources Council.

There isn't much that's reusable in old TVs, just lots of dangerous chemicals.

That's why some manufacturers and retailers are stepping up to the plate to help consumers get rid of TVs responsibly.

At Best Buy, if you buy a new television, they'll take your old one for free.

If you bring in an old television, up to thirty two inches, it will cost you $10, but you get a $10 Best Buy gift certificate in return.

For larger televisions, there's a haul away program, but that will cost you.

Best Buy's Sales Supervisor Jessica Brown explains.

"We can also come into your home and pick up those televisions for a cost of $100," said Brown. "We'll take up to two items per household. If you want more it's an additional $20 per item."

A recycling group, the Electronics Take Back Coalition says Sony and Samsung have TV take back programs too.

In its TV Recycling Report Card, both companies get the highest grades, B-. Best Buy and Walmart get C+ and Target gets an F for doing nothing at all.

Another way to get rid of your old TV is to bring them to the East parking lot of Heinz Field tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It's called the TVs and More Recycling Event, but it'll cost you $10 for regular TVs and more than $10 dollars for bigger ones.

"It's money well spent," said Dave Mazza. "It keeps the televisions set out of landfills. It also makes sure that the television set is being handled properly and that it is de-manufactured. It's being taken apart and broken down and recycled."

For more information about the recycling event, visit  PennFuture.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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