KANSAS CITY – Today (June 12) is a historic day in television. Today marks the big digital television conversion. An
Energy Star digital conversion box is the greenest way to make the conversion from analog.
The next best option is to recycle your old TV set and replace it with an Energy Star television. Recycling is important because television sets include toxic metals and potentially hazardous plastics that could pollute water or air if dumped in a landfill. It is easier to recycle your old set than ever before.
Electronics Takeback Coalition issued a report card recently ranking brands on their consumer recycling programs.
Sony and Samsung scored the highest for their retail recycling program. Best Buy and Wal Mart are next for participating in the Samsung program and for taking back their store brands. Click
here to see how other brands rank.
The
Surplus Exchange in Kansas City is one of the companies and non-profits that have agreed to help finance the creation of the most rigorous social and environmental electronics recycling standard in the United States: the e-Steward Certification Program. In recognition of this outstanding support, the Basil Action Network
(BAN), a leading environment watchdog group, has designated the Surplus Exchange as an e-Steward Founder. Make sure to learn their recycling electronic fees before making the trip to Surplus Exchange.
Another reason to check recyclers thoroughly is the growing problem of e-waste being dumped in third-world countries by companies claiming to recycle the toxic trash continues. It’s estimated 20 to 50 million tons of electronics waste is discarded globally every year according to Greenpeace. It all that e-waste was put in containers on a train,it would circle the world once. E-waste is the fastest growing component of municipal solid waste streams.
The
Environmental Protection Agency, appears to be taking some steps to improve the situation. It recently filed a complaint against EarthECycle for allegedly illegally exporting used electronics accepted at free e-waste collection events in Pennsylvania to Hong Kong.
To learn more about proper electronics recycling and how to find an E-Steward near you, click
here.