How ERI Recycles TVs

Traditional, boxy console and projection TVs may have dropped sharply in popularity in recent years, but scores of these devices pass through ERI’s recycling facilities each and every day.

Commodities sourced from recycled TVs can vary greatly. Commonly found materials include copper, metals, power boards, breakage boards, wood, white plastics, black plastics, PET, speakers, glass, projection tubes and more.

How ERI recycles televisions

ERI breaks down console TVs and projection TVs piece by piece to sort each recyclable commodity.

Console TVs typically are housed within a wood frame. Once the frame is removed, miscellaneous plastics, breakage, copper wiring, miscellaneous metals, speakers and CRT glass are removed one at a time.

The projection television heyday has long since passed, but they were actually manufactured until 2012, when Toshiba put the last model out on the market. As the market shifted toward high-definition flat-screen TVs, bulky projection models were left in the dust. ERI recycles projection TVs by dismantling the frame material (normally plastic), the wiring, breakage boards, miscellaneous metals, projection tubes and glass.

Commodities

Battery

Circuit Board

Copper

Freon

Glass

Mercury

Metal

Plastic

Wood

Facts

The Responsible Appliance Disposal Program disposed of 890,473 refrigerant-containing appliances in 2011, preventing 105.7 million pounds of ferrous metals, 17.5 million pounds of non-ferrous metals, 18.7 million pounds of plastic and 2.6 million pounds of glass from entering landfills. (source: RAD Annual Report)

The EPA estimates that 9.4 million refrigerators and freezers, 6.3 million window air-conditioning units, and nearly 964,000 dehumidifiers were disposed of in the U.S. in 2011. (source: RAD Annual Report)