Obsolete TVs Are Dangerous Curbside Clutter

Chicago-area retailers accepting obsolute TVs

By GINGER ZEE and BJ LUTZ

Mon, Jun 15, 2009

With potentially a hundred million TVs instantly obsolete as of last Friday, the environmental impact could be huge if they were just tossed to the curb.

Obsolete TVs are Dangerous Curbside Clutter

Don't throw your old TV in the trash! After your old TV fades to black, think green. Each set has five to 10 pounds of lead, according to the CEO of PC Rebuilders and Recyclers, Willie Cade.

"We really don't want that to go in our landfills," he said.

Cade's point is simple: absolutely, do not put your old TV in the trash.

They can be taken to drop off centers like PC Rebuilders and Recyclers, or held onto until January 1, 2010, when a new Illinois e-waste law goes into effect.

At that time, manufacturers are responsible for the disposal of their products. Companies like Sony, Apple and Dell will have to hold free recycling events.

The new law, it's argued, is good for consumers and good for the environment, creating about 4,000 jobs and $740 million in new revenue for the state, according to Environmental Law & Police Center attorney Melville Nickerson.