Digital TV Transition May Create Tons of E-Waste
Posted on 15. Jun, 2009 by admin in Green Tech
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The long-awaited digital TV transition began today, leaving millions of Americans without a signal unless they secured a set-top converter box.
Many will replace their older analog TVs with new flashier models, creating a mountain of e-waste that some TV manufacturers are ill equipped to recycle. Some estimate one in four households will throw out a TV this year, which could mean millions of TVs ending up in landfills.
That makes environmental groups worry.
“With the upcoming digital TV conversion looming before us, many people don’t know where to take their old TVs,” Barbara Kyle, Electronics TakeBack Coalition National Coordinator, said in a statement this week. “There are some responsible manufactures and retailers who offer takeback programs, but unfortunately not all — including market leader Vizio.”
Kyle called out Vizio and others in its second TV Company Recycling Report Card released Wednesday. Most manufacturers increased their scores compared to the rankings of the first scorecard published in November.
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