by Robert Kidwell

There’s a change on the horizon. We all know it; we’ve been bombarded with television ads, deadline extensions, and converter box coupons for the past two years. This change is going to bring new digital signals into our living rooms, providing better picture and better sound and more airwaves for emergency services to use. The switch from analog to digital is all positive, except when you think about all the waste.

Let’s take some time to think about it right now.

Picture millions of homes across the country in a relatively short period of time having to ditch that 50-pound, RCA monstrosity they inherited from their grandparents in order to be ready for the digital transition. You know what I’m talking about: the massive TV surrounded in a wood frame that practically required a forklift to get out of your living room.

And now imagine all of those antennas going to the wayside. Picture house after house of electronic junk filling the basement only to eventually spill over to the curbside and then the landfill. What a waste.

Because unlike organic waste (food, paper, cardboard, etc), when electronics go into the landfill they do nothing. Organic waste produces methane, which can be useful to create energy at various disposal sites. Electronic waste just sits there, and by taking up space it is also shortens the lifespan of a landfill.

Why just let them sit there, when those same electronics can be disassembled into their basic form - metal, glass and plastic - and then be put towards reuse?

It’s happening right now.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, approximately two million tons of e-waste is recycled each year. But five million additional tons - a majority of which is consumer electronics - is currently being stored in garages and basements.

Like lots materials our there, electronics can be made into other products. They can’t be recycled the way we do plastic bottles and paper, since the process for handling electronics is different, but the principles remain the same.

The Process of Recycling
Why is the process different? Electronics have certain elements that can be potentially hazardous during deconstruction, so as a result they must be handled appropriately at facilities that are ISO 14001 and 9001 certified. For example, cathode ray tubes (an everyday glass television or computer screen) can contain up to 4 pounds of lead. Mercury is another element found in electronics, as is Cadmium and certain kinds of flame retardants.

While there are hazards that make recycling electronics challenging, there are also plenty of useful materials that can be extracted, like gold, silver, and aluminum. Glass can be reused. Plastic can be reused. Almost every material in a television can be put towards reuse, except for maybe that wood frame (electronic recycling facilities typically are not equipped to process that material).

Call to Action
So why aren’t people recycling their electronics if it saves on landfill space, ensures reuse, and reduces the amount of raw materials extracted, as well as energy required to make new materials?

One of the reasons is awareness. A lot of people are not aware that by segregating electronics from their everyday waste stream that their products can be repurposed. Another reason might be that people do not know where to drop off their junk, and that once they get there, they’re caught unaware that they may have to pay for their recycling (while this isn’t the case at every facility, sometimes there is a cost associated with de-manufacturing the product).

Ask yourself though: is it worth it? If all it takes is a little time and perhaps a little bit of money to ensure that the e-waste you created is put to good use, isn’t it just the right thing?

To find more information on where to drop-off electronics, a simple Internet search would probably do the trick. Below is link to some of the sites recycling giant Waste Management uses, but there are lots of other sites out there. Also, keep an eye on the news, since cities will often have e-waste drop-off events, which are often free.

Final thought
So, as we look to a new beginning of digital television, let’s also think about a new beginning for the TV that gave you hours of entertainment. Sure, it may have been tough getting a signal at times, and the picture may have had some lines here and there, but it deserves a second chance. You can give your electronics a second life.

The alternative?

It just sits there.

Click here for an e-waste location list

Robert Kidwell is a Communications Specialist at Waste Management. This post originally appeared on ThinkGreen.com.