The Digital Television Transition: Don’t Kick Your TV to the Curb – eCycle Instead

WASHINGTON - After tomorrow, June 12, 2009 all full power television stations will only broadcast in digital, over-the-air signals. E.P.A. encourages all U.S. citizens who own an analog TV set and who gain free broadcasts (via rabbit ears or a roof-top antenna) to extend the life of their TV by subscribing to a paid TV service or connecting it to a converter box. Energy Star-qualified digital converter boxes are accessible for purchase.

For consumers who choose to buy a new TV, E.P.A. recommends purchasing Energy Star-qualified sets. E.P.A. also encourages consumers to recycle their unwanted TVs, which recovers valuable materials from the circuit boards, metal wiring, leaded glass, and plastics.

Last year Americans disposed of in excess of 20 million TVs, which represents a lost opportunity to conserve natural resources such as copper and iron.

Consumers who are interested in recycling their old TVs can contact their local household hazardous waste collection and recycling plan to find out whether they will be sponsoring an upcoming recycling event.

E.P.A. is working through its Plug-In To eCycling plan to promote the environmental benefits of recycling and provide the public with information on safely reusing and recycling obsolete electronics products, including televisions, computers, and cell phones. Plug-In To eCycling is a partnership between E.P.A. and electronic manufacturers and retailers to offer consumers more opportunities to donate or recycle their used electronics.

More information on the digital TV transition:
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/tv-convert.htm

More information on where to recycle a TV:
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/ecycling/tv-challenge.htm

More information on Plug-In To eCycling: http://epa.gov/plug-in

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