Recycled TV

With this Writer's Strike going on, there will be a lot of recycled TV episodes on the air. Of course recycling TV shows doesn't impact the environment. A lack of TV recycling programs does. Now a group named Electronics TakeBack Coalition is urging television manufacturers to expand recycling programs for TV's.

Only 12.5% of electronics waste is recycled in the US each year according to the EPA. Unfortunately, half of that amount (160,000 tons) is exported and dumped in developing countries. Because of the huge number of people looking to dump their old televisions, many states like California, Maine, and Maryland have enacted laws requriing electronic recycling.

The Electronics TakeBack Coalition believes that rather than states and their citiznes worrying about how to recycle old electronics, its the responsibilty of electronics corporations to collect these products and properly dispose of them. So far, the campaign by Electronics TakeBack Coalition has been successful in convincing Sony to create 75 nation-wide drop-off points for consumers to recycle Sony products. Next year that number will expand to 150 drop-off sites.

If you want to encourage other companies, besides Sony, to create such a program, you can sign a petition at the Electronics TakeBack Coalition website takebackmytv.com.

In the meantime, you can look for existing drop-off sites for your electronic waste by going here.

Read more about this story at MSNBC