Old Televisions Have Become a Dangerous Problem

The drop in the price of electronic devices worldwide has led to a serious issue: electronic waste. According to NBC, the very low price of televisions in the United States has caused people to abandon their old televisions on the street or at recycling centers, many of which do not have the necessary precision for recycling. Recently, a recycling center in Kentucky was questioned for burying these old televisions. Burying these electronic devices in the ground has raised significant concerns among environmentalists in the country. However, municipal officials say that due to the high cost of recycling electronic materials and the increasing number of these devices, they have no choice but to bury them. This includes officials in Virginia, who have recently removed the ban on burying electronic devices from the recycling centers in the state. On the other hand, companies that previously recycled televisions for free are now charging customers for picking up and transporting old televisions. Many electronic devices contain hazardous chemicals such as lead, mercury, beryllium, and cadmium, and recycling them is costly. Old televisions, in particular, create specific problems for recycling. In the past, their glass, some containing nearly three kilograms of lead, was melted down and used in the production of new screens. However, awareness of the dangers of lead has increased, and no one uses lead-containing products anymore. Therefore, these screens remain in landfills. Other metals used in the construction of these televisions (such as gold and copper) no longer have a hot market, and in fact, the cost of recycling them is not recovered. According to the Electronic Recycling Center of America, over two billion kilograms of old televisions were found in homes across America in 2015. People keep these televisions in their basements or attics without using them. These televisions are very heavy, and instead of taking them to recycling centers, people prefer to store them in a shed or throw them in the trash. In 2011, when the price of gold was very high, recycling companies even paid people to take these televisions, but now the situation has completely reversed, and it is the people who must not only take the heavy televisions to recycling centers but also pay officials to get rid of them. This has led to televisions remaining in homes. According to USA Today, the only thing that can be done about this electronic waste is to educate the community. They must understand that even if recycling costs them money, it is the right thing to do.