Mountains of E-waste to Follow Digital TV Conversion June 12

June 11, 2009

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With the long-awaited conversion to digital TV sets set for June 12, groups are warning that there are not enough resources to deal with the obsolete equipment that consumers will be offloading.

The Electronics TakeBack Coalition said that too few TV manufacturers have programs to recycle electronics, and that many of the ones that exist are inadequate.

The coalition has issued a scorecard of companies. Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba have improved their grades, according to a press release. Sony and Samsung received a B-, while retailers Wal-Mart and Best Buy received a C+.

Companies receiving an F include Vizio, Funai, Mistubishi, Philips, JVC, Sanyo, and retailer Target.

The coalition said that it found that there are normally only a few voluntary TV takeback programs per state, making it difficult for consumers to recycle. Some states, however, have stronger producer responsibility laws, which the coalition said results in better consumer access to electronics recycling sites.

Last year, Panasonic Corporation of North America, Sharp Electronics Corporation and Toshiba America Consumer Products established a new electronic product recycling management company, Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Company LLC, to provide a recycling service to electronics manufacturers and others, including state and local governments.

In other E-waste recycling news, Anything IT has expanded its Free E-Waste Recycling & Asset Recovery Program to serve customers of Fujitsu America.

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