Trash Talking

 

My initial reaction was to curse the lazy jerk. He’s either oblivious to the red alert on e-waste clogging landfills (likely) or, well, he just doesn’t care (more likely).

 

Then again, these were pretty big TVs. And unless there was some sort of incentive for him to lug an unwieldy, out-of-date/broken electronic to a specified recycling center, I can see why he took the easy way out. He's uneducated or selfish or both.

 

Now get this: according to the EPA, in 2007 nearly 27 million TVs were discarded and only 18 percent of those were recycled. Between 2004 and 2007, the number of TVs that entered the waste stream increased by 14 percent. And now that the FCC has deemed analog models useless, that number is increasing.

 

Here in Mass, it’s illegal to dump a TV or computer in the trash; each can contain up to eight pounds of lead and other heavy metals. Yet some Berkshire recycling centers don’t accept TV or computer monitors—Pittsfield's doesn’t—and those that do often charge a drop-off fee. That’s right, folks: we have to pay to throw stuff away. Welcome to America.

 —Run through the rigamarole of Freecycle, Craigslist, or Berkshire County Reuse-It

 

—Drop it to the recycling program at Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires in Pittsfield and North Adams, for $20 and up, depending on size

 

 

 

—Haul it to one of these transfer stations. But call ahead for hours and fees—the Egremont Transfer Station, for example, charges $10 and up, depending on size; Otis is $15 flat.
 

 

 

Best Buy.

 

As John over at the Berkshire Mall retailer tells me: "We'll take flat panels under 60 inches or tube TVs under 32 inches; three dropoffs per customer per day. We charge ten dollars for anything with a screen because that has to go to a special facility, but we'll give you a $10 Best Buy Gift Card, so it's basically a wash."

 

 

 

In other news: looking to purchase a new gadget? Check out Greenpeace's 2010 Guide to Greener Electronics.