Two Predictions For February 17, 2009:
1) HD TV Sales Rise
2) Fuller Landfills
October 30, 2008
There are two predictions for February 17, 2009: 1) many people that receive
analog TV and are “sitting on the fence” to buy an HD TV will finally
make the upgrade, and 2) many analog TVs will end up in the land fills.
On February 17, 2009 all major TV stations will transition from analog to
digital signals, and it is estimated some 15 million homes could be
affected. While most people know the transition is coming, many people
will not address the issue until the transition occurs. For many consumers,
the digital transition will be the trigger for a television upgrade. Even
though consumers can cheaply upgrade their format for roughly $10-$30
after a government supplied coupon, February 17, 2009 will provide one
more push for hold-out consumers to upgrade to a new TV.
Out With the Old, In With the New
With newer TVs being bought and replacing existing analog sets,
consumers will have a dilemma in regards to what to do with the
old TV: store the old TV to collect dust, try to use the old set
in a limited manner, or discard the TV to a landfill. Unfortunately
many people will choose the last option, and many old TVs will
end up in land fills.
The land fill option is an unfortunate choice for a couple of reasons.
First and the least concerning reason is that the bulk of the old TVs
will add to the total bulk of the landfills. While landfills constantly
receive new bulk and the old TVs will be a minor addition to the total,
any new source of landfill bulk contributes to the disposal challenge.
The most concerning reason is that TVs are often made from toxic materials,
and TVs entering landfills will increase the toxicity of our landfills.
Older cathode-ray tube televisions contain toxic phosphors and heavily
leaded glass. Newer LCD televisions contain mercury in their backlights.
So it seems that there are multiple levels of concern for TVs entering
landfills because of the added volume and the toxicity if that volume.
With the toxicity of old and new televisions providing a problem for
conventional disposal, consumers have other options that are more
preferable than trashing unused televisions.
What Are My Options
Recycling and Donating
Recycling and donating are preferred options consumers have compared to
disposing of their televisions in the trash. Support for recycling and
donating services vary by region, but there are great internet services
to determine what is most accessible. Here are a few:
Reuse
Besides recycling and donation, reuse provides another earth friendly alternative.
By reuse, I am not implying reuse in the traditional sense.
Many analog TVs will be incapable of displaying content, thus the TV cannot be
reused for watching purposes. Instead, I am talking about reuse in an
unconventional sense. For example, larger analog TV sets can be used as furniture.
How would you reuse your analog TV?
How would you reuse your analog TV?
| Name: | Anonymous |
| Suggestion: | Just give it to your neighbors. |
| Date: | 11/16/2008 |