Recycling our electronics is very important due to the hazard they pose to us and our environment, however, sometimes the recycling of these items may be difficult and hazardous itself. The average CRT monitor for example contains anywhere from five to seven pounds of lead, while a television could contain much more. Lead, as you may already know, can cause many adverse human health effects and exposure to large amounts of it could be very dangerous. For these reasons CRT monitors and TVs need to be disposed of responsibly and properly, sometimes this may mean a fee is included but it is for the good reasons mentioned. Proper disposal is a necessity and mandated by the EPA.

Handling your electronics and recycling them is not an easy task. There’s a lot that goes into these processes that you don’t see when you drop them off. The EPA has created standards for CRT and CRT glass recycling. The standards are set in place to increase the collection and recycling of these, while reducing the lead in landfills. The regulations also define when they are and are not considered “hazardous waste.” CRT TV or monitors that are used and unbroken are not considered hazardous waste unless they are stored for more than a year because the risk of exposure to lead from an unbroken CRT is very low. The regulations for broken and used CRTs are different but are not considered hazardous waste as long as certain conditions are met, they are as follows; CRT containers are clearly labeled regarding contents, CRTs are safely transported in containers designed to minimize releases, CRTs are stored in a building or container designed to minimize releases, and CRTs are stored on site less than one year before recycling them.

The typical CRT is made up anywhere from fifteen to ninety pounds of glass, this Is designed to protect users from the radiation of the electron gun and electron beam, it is found in four different components of a CRT. The panel glass is the first, it accounts for two-thirds of the CRTs weight and could contain either lead or barium. The funnel glass is second, it is wear most of the lead is housed. Third is the neck glass, this surrounds the electron gun and also contains traces of lead. Last is the solder glass that seals a CRT which is eighty-five percent lead.

TV’s and monitors that contain CRT glass need to be safely disassembled and safely transported to a lead smelter where the lead can then be safely recovered. The CRT is not only dangerous to the environment, but also the people, this does not exclude the people who handle it for recycling purposes. The labor, transportation and the actual cost of recycling the leaded glass may usually result in a small fee to recycle these items. This can assure you that your CRT will be properly handled and disposed of as safe as possible. Although it may seem unfair to pay someone to recycle your items, it in fact is a good thing that ensures you about the safety of our recycling.

CRTs televisions and the computer monitors are no longer of any need to have in our homes. They aren’t a part of our daily life anymore and therefore aren’t manufactured as much as they used to be. LCD monitors and TVs are what everyone wants now, nearly everyone has swapped their old, bulky, heavy CRT TVs for flat lightweight energy efficient LCD screens. This has created a big environmental need for a better way to manage, handle and dispose of all this CRT glass and electronics. Before the craze of flat screens started, Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) displays were used to make our TVs and computer monitors. In these times very few are made and used because of the high demand manufacturers have to make flat screens. This is a good and bad thing. It is good because CRT TVs and monitors contain lead, which is hazardous, and the fact that there is no longer a demand for them leaves it undesired. However, when your CRT TV or monitor is of longer any use to you, it is most likely thrown away, which is what we do not want in our landfills. Although there aren’t laws everywhere regarding the disposal of our CRTs we ask that you please dispose of these responsibly, it is our responsibility to be good to our planet. The next time you find yourself with a CRT in need of disposal contact us and we can assure you it will not end up polluting our landfills with its poisons.