Local Stories by Local People
updated: Feb 03, 2009, 12:00 AM

Don’t trash that TV – Recycle it!
Source: County of SB

As many Americans upgrade to newer television sets in anticipation of the switch to digital broadcast, older TVs are getting left in the dust. If you have an old TV, make sure to recycle it!

In California televisions and other electronics are classified as hazardous waste and are not allowed to be thrown in the trash. Give your old electronics a second life by bringing them to one of the County’s free collection centers.

On the South Coast, residents can drop off electronics at no charge at the South Coast Recycling and Transfer Station at 4430 Calle Real in Santa Barbara. In the Santa Ynez Valley, electronics are collected at the Santa Ynez Valley Recycling and Transfer Station at 4004 Foxen Canyon Road.

All electronics brought to the County’s facilities are recycled domestically to ensure the safe and appropriate handling of the materials. In 2008 the County collected more than 850,000 pounds of electronics, including TVs, computers, DVD players, stereos, telephones, microwaves, and other common devices.

While containing potentially hazardous chemicals, such as lead and mercury, electronics also contain valuable materials that can be reused in new products. As more manufacturers realize the potential of these materials, some are initiating their own collection and recycling programs.

Consider contacting the manufacturer of your old TV or other electronic device to see if they offer a recycling program. If they don’t, encourage them to start one! And when buying that new TV, remember to pick one that is both energy efficient and whose manufacturer does offer recycling.

This type of system, referred to as “product stewardship” or “extended producer responsibility,” helps to spread the costs of collection and recycling and encourage more efficient design. It also motivates manufacturers to use less toxic materials in their products to avoid the high costs of managing hazardous waste.

For more information about hazardous and electronic waste, including additional collection sites locally, please visit the County’s recycling website at www.lessismore.org.

For details about the switch to digital broadcast, visit www.dtv.gov.

For more information about product stewardship, visit the California Product Stewardship Council’s website at www.calpsc.org.

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