Upgrading for DTV? Recycle your old TV!

On February 17th 2009, as my regular listeners know, television stations across the country will convert their analog broadcast signals to a new higher-capacity digital spectrum. What this means to television viewers varies depending on how you receive programming, but for many, the conversion could leave you with a live view of what resembles a 24/7 snowstorm.

For many who watch over-the-air television, this means a new television. (Most, like one KXL staffer I spoke with yesterday, see it as a good excuse to upgrade even while a converter box might suffice.)

What do you do with your old set?

Most people don’t need to get rid of their existing television due to the switch to digital-only broadcasting, says Kathy Kiwala, manager of DEQ’s “Oregon E-Cycles” electronics waste program. For persons who choose to purchase a new digital TV and have an existing TV in working condition, there are several options:

• Keep the old TV as a second TV for games, videos or DVDs
• Give the old TV to a friend or donate it to a second-hand store.

According to the Department of Enviornmental Quality's press release, consumers who do choose to buy a new television set should visit the DEQ E-waste Web page at http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/ewaste/resources.htm

For more ways to recycle electronics -- including unwanted computers -- check out my Earth Day Gadget Special that aired on KATU's AM Northwest: