I had no idea how difficult it would be to recycle an old CRT TV larger than 32 inches!

It is not my TV, but a friend of mine’s. She and I were searching together for somewhere she could send it for appropriate disposal.

You do know that putting an old TV out on the curb for the trashperson sends it to a landfill where it leaches dangerous chemicals into the ground, right? Hence the attempt to recycle the large TV – to send it to a company that will disassemble it appropriately and safely dispose of the dangerous waste.

Normally, I would recommend Best Buy’s recycling program for TV recycling, but it appears that they do not recycle TV’s larger than 32 inches.

Goodwill also has a recycling program for TV’s they cannot resell, but they will not take sets that are not operational.

The next stop was the Texas Take Back web site, which is a site supposedly dedicated to helping consumers dispose of electronic waste properly in Texas. However, as you can see just by visiting the site, it is extremely difficult to assemble the information on televisions. If you know where you purchased the set and have a proof of purchase, you are in luck. But how many people have (or can locate!) receipts from a TV purchased 3 years, 5 years ago or more? The other option on this site is broken down by manufacturer. In case you have a TV to recycle and are as mind-boggled as I was by all the disparate information for the different brands (the links don’t send you to the actual information in all cases, sometimes you have to locate the information on the manufacturer’s sites), here is the breakdown:

LG/Goldstar/Zenith is done by HOBI International
Samsung has a map where you type in your zip code
Mitsubishi/Panasonic/Sharp/Toshiba/VIZIO are all here

However, in this case the television was a Phillips – none of the brands listed!

Through TimeToRecycle.com, my friend eventually found Intechra, which accepts large televisions if you drive to their location at a loading dock in Carrollton between the hours of 6:00-11:00 and 12:00-2:00. The information actually appears to be gone from the TimeToRecycle site now, so it’s a good thing we saved it, and part of the reason I am reprinting it here.

Not exactly the easiest thing in the world – no wonder so many people just put their old TV’s out on the curb. And what about other areas of Texas? Not everyone can drive to Carrollton.

Public Research Works recently published a report entitled “Free e-recycling, but nobody knows. Even the information provided on this site and the resources listed could not have helped us. It’s easy to recycle a computer, but not a television larger than 32 inches!

What gives, Texas?!

UPDATED: I have been told that now BestBuy will recycle TV’s and most electronics for no fee. Unfortunately, I think there still might be a limit on what size TV they will accept.