In an effort to save money when moving into a new apartment (and to enjoy something more modern than my 19-inch tube), my boyfriend and I took my dad’s broken flatscreen TV in an effort to fix it for a fraction of the cost of a new one. Not only would we save money, but we would help the environment by reusing. Well, several new tools, fuses, and online forums down the road, we realized that, of course, the most expensive and difficult-to-fix card in the television was the culprit. So we went to buy a new television only marginally more expensive than the cost of repair.
Over a year later, the giant 42-inch screen still sits as unnoticable as it can in a corner nook of my living room. Each new house guest asks why we have two TVs in one room (and usually also want to know why it is on the floor). Simple: my go-to cash-for-electronics recycling company seemed to have gone under or disappeared, the one affiliated by my work property management company is only for corporate technology (i.e., computers), the former service manager of my apartment complex who offered to take it off my hands is now “former,” and most places I researched required a large fee to recycle it. Not to mention that it wouldn’t fit in my arms or Volkswagen to take any matters into my own hands.
But today, empowered by a midsummer cleaning spree, I renewed my research to discover Best Buy’s e-cycle program. They recycle most every electronic or will help you find an alternative for what they can’t. They even have pick up programs for your larger TVs and appliances. Although many corporate retailers do have some sort of recycling program, what I particularly like about Best Buy’s is that although I will have a $10 fee, I will immediately receive a $10 Best Buy giftcard for a future purchase. If your television is a Best Buy brand (Dynex, Insignia), then your fee is waived. So while you might have to spend some cash, you receive the same amount back in hopes of further supporting a store that is contributing to environmental responsibility.
Here are a few resources for finding electronic recyclers in your area:
- 1800 Recycling
- Telecommunications Industry Association’s E-Cycling Central
- My Green Electronics
- Earth 911
- EPA’s E-Cycling Directory
by S. Ameri
