Fwd: 4 Ways to Reduce E-Waste

July 15, 2008

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Dear Cyndi Krall,

Imagine 20 million televisions pitched into a landfill. It's an e-waste nightmare, right?

Especially when you consider that a single cathode-ray tube television can contain hundreds of highly toxic chemicals, including mercury, brominated-flame-retardants, and PVC plastics, as well as up to eight pounds of lead.

That's why, in our fall 2007 Co-op America Quarterly ( " Getting to Zero Waste " ), we invited our readers to write to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), urging them to get serious about combating e-waste. It's the FCC that has mandated that all television broadcasters switch to digital in February 2009, rendering millions of old televisions obsolete.

We're still working to convince the FCC and television manufacturers to take responsibility for recycling the components of their products. You can take our action now to send an e-mail to the FCC about your e-waste concerns.

Take action now »

While we wait for the FCC and manufacturers to take action, we've also taken matters into our own hands, and put together a short list of steps that you as a consumer can take to minimize the impact of the digital switch.

Check your television. – Many TVs made after 2003 were equipped with digital tuners. Look for a label that says " Integrated Digital Tuner, " " Integrated Digital Receiver, " " Digital Receiver Built-in, " or " Digital Receiver Built-in. " If you have a digital tuner already, you're all set.

Use a converter box. – If you don't have a digital tuner, a set-top converter box can still keep your TV from becoming e-waste. Each household is eligible to receive two vouchers, valued at $40 each, to use toward purchase of a converter. Check out www.dtv.gov for more information.

Recycle your television – If you must purchase a new television, make sure your old one isn't simply carted to a landfill. The Basel Action Network provides a list of recyclers who have pledged not to export hazardous e-waste. Also, Sony is offering a free take-back program for all Sony electronics in the US.

Speak out about the e-waste nightmare -- Finally, take our action to tell the FCC that you're concerned about the coming deluge of e-waste that may be triggered by the digital switch. Tell the FCC to require manufacturers to follow Sony's lead and take responsibility for their products throughout their entire life cycles.

BONUS ENERGY-SAVING STEPS: If you must purchase a new television, look for an LCD (liquid crystal display) model, marked with the Energy Star label. LCDs use six times less energy than plasma screen models. You can cut your energy use further by unplugging your TV (and its attached appliances) when you're not watching it; this prevents your electronics from consuming electricity even while not in use.

Please forward this e-mail to all your friends and family. We need as many people as possible to understand how to reduce the impact of the digital switch, and we need a groundswell of pressure on the FCC and the electronics companies to manage the e-waste problem better. Send an e-mail to the FCC today and visit our Responsible Shopper.org to find contact information for major electronics manufacturers, and links to the TV TakeBack campaign.

Thanks for all you do.

Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director, Co-op America

Tell the FCC to require manufacturers to recycle their obsolete products.

Act now. »

Learn more about the e-waste deluge in our editorial, and feel free to forward it to your local newspaper, or other outlets, for reprinting »

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