Coalition: Many Companies Fail; No TV Recycling Programs
With only three months to go until the digital TV conversion, the Electronics TakeBack Coalition released its new TV Recycling Report Card, grading the major TV manufacturers on their efforts to establish national programs to take back and recycle their old TVs. More than half of the 17 companies ranked scored a failing grade, because they have no recycling program in place. Sony received the highest grade, a B minus, with other companies scoring either a C or D.
"While we are encouraged that some TV manufacturers now have national programs to take back their old products, none of these programs have enough locations to allow for easy and convenient TV recycling for most consumers," said Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the coalition. "Clearly, there is still a lot of work to be done. We want to see a lot more collection sites and a lot more transparency about what the recyclers are doing with these products, so that we can be sure they are being handled responsibly."
The grades were determined based on the scope of each company's recycling program, their commitment to responsible recycling, the volume and visibility of their program, and each company's level of support for public policy that encourages responsible recycling. Several criteria address the transparency of the programs, including public disclosure about vendors used and the ultimate destinations of the toxic materials in the products, as well as clear commitments by the companies not to allow any toxic materials to be exported to developing countries.
"We hope that consumers who are shopping for a new TV this holiday season will take the manufacturers' environmental record into account when they decide what to buy," said Kyle. "Consumers can and should use their buying power to push this industry toward greener practices."
The coalition, which includes environmental and consumer groups, has been pressuring TV companies to create national recycling programs, particularly as next February's mandatory digital TV conversion approaches. To see the complete report, visit TakeBackmyTV.com.