by Alex Francis
Prior to the advent of flat-screen television technology, bulky tube televisions were able to be recycled for a profit. The glass cathode ray tubes (CRTs) inside each of those TVs were melted down, and the raw material was used to make new tubes that could then be resold. The money earned was enough to make the recycling process worthwhile, but now tube TVs have become obsolete. Their CRTs are no longer useful, and old tube TVs are piling up in warehouses as recyclers no longer have an incentive to spend resources on recycling them.
Another instance of updated technology having an impact on recycling happened just last year when Apple introduced a new charging port with the release of the iPhone 5, leaving everyone’s old chargers unusable. As technology forges ahead, recyclers are forced to react and adapt.
As Ian Urbina reported in a recent New York Times article, “the predicament has highlighted how small changes in the marketplace can suddenly transform a product into a liability and demonstrates the difficulties that federal and state environmental regulators face in keeping up with these rapid shifts.”
Advances in Technology Outpace Recycling
Ever-evolving technology and the increasing rate at which electronics are becoming obsolete leaves recyclers at risk of falling behind the times and ending up with stockpiles of old, environmentally harmful electronic waste. CRTs contain an average of four pounds of lead, which then cumulates over time in landfills and can leach out toxins into the groundwater.
Lawmakers have attempted to mitigate the issue, and as many as 22 states hold electronics manufacturers responsible for recycling their old products, but, unfortunately, loopholes and illegal activities abound.