How the Digital TV Conversion Deadline Is Creating An E-Waste Tsunami

On June 12, 2009, U.S. television stations finally threw the switch, and stopped sending out analog TV signal in the United States.  On that date, the millions of people who were receiving “over the air” TV signal (as opposed to cable or satellite subscribers) had to have a TV capable of receiving digital signal, or their TVs would go dark.

Consumers are trashing working televisions

The digital conversion has lead (and continues to lead) consumers to get rid of their old analog televisions, even though many still work.  While the rule of thumb used to be that consumers would demote older televisions to some other room in the house, we are now seeing a change in consumer behavior. When they replace their big, old, clunky cathode ray tube TVs (and the big piece of furniture holding them up) with sleeker flat panel TVs, which they can hang on the wall, many are simply getting rid of the older TVs altogether.  So while the set-top converter box is a viable option, for some consumers this digital signal conversion is the tipping point for replacing their older TVs.  That’s why the FCC DTV rule is the largest government mandated obsolescence initiative in U.S. history.  And this mandate was implemented with very little attention to helping affected consumers avoid the expense and difficulty of coping with the transition.

Why This is So Important:  Old TVs Are Toxic E-Waste

TVs contain toxic materials, like lead, cadmium, and beryllium, that don’t belong in the landfill. The old CRT TVs contain an average of 4 to 8 pounds of lead. While it’s still legal to throw TVs in the trash in most states, it’s not an environmentally sound practice, because the toxic chemicals can leach into groundwater over time. Because only about 15% of e-waste gets recycled, that means most of these old TVs are going into our landfills and incinerators.  Most e-waste that is collected for recycling in the U.S. is currently being exported to developing countries for primitive “recycling” where it is causing great damage.  Electronic waste sent to China also appears to be a source of a lead used in the lead-tainted jewelry that is manufactured in China and exported to the U.S.

Are We Seeing A Tsunami?

Recyclers will tell you they are absolutely seeing more TVs than they did before the digital conversion. State-mandated takeback programs get more TVs back than other products. Almost 60% of the products collected in the Washington State e-waste program are TVs. Charities report that they have more donations of CRT (analog) TVs than they can handle. Listings on Craigslist and freecycle show that they are being given away for free.  Is everyone getting rid of their old TVs all at once? It's happening steadily over time.

More Tsunami Ahead

The digital conversion was just one example of how new technology drives consumers to replace working products with newer "disruptive" technology.  We will continue to see this trend, as LED-backlit TVs replace the mercury lamps used in LCD TVs.  Sales of LED backlit are projected to increase eightfold in 2010. Similarly, new products providing mobile TV, 3D-TV and streaming entertainment right to the TV will continue to drive consumers to replace working, old technology with the newest gadgets.

What You Can Do

• Recycle your Old TVs with a Responsible Recycler. 
  If you are retiring and old TV, we encourage consumers to recycle it, even if it’s legal to put it in the trash in your state. But most electronics recyclers will really just export your old TV to a developing country across the globe, where it’s dumped in poor communities. But you CAN find responsible recyclers who don’t export, on our list of responsible recyclers.  Click on your state to find a good recycler near you.
• Tell the TV Companies to Become Part of the Solution. 
  While we do have some responsible recyclers (see #2 above), they are not in every community, and many need to charge a fee to cover the costs of proper handling of your old TV.  So we want to see the TV manufacturers taking back and recycling our old TVs – after all, they are the ones making the money selling us over 30 million new TVs each year in the US.  Currently, eight TV companies - Sony, LG, Samsung, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, and Vizio are the only major TV companies that offers free takeback of their old TVs. Click here to send a message to the other TV companies to tell them to follow the industry leaders and give us a way to safely and responsibly recycle our old TVs.
• Tell Your Legislator to Pass Takeback Laws.
  Sixteen states have passed laws that require electronics manufacturers to take back and recycle our old electronics. Ask you local state legislator to promote a takeback bill for electronics, including televisions, in your state.