TV

Do You Know How to Recycle Your Old TV?

jplatt — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0500

A whole bunch of TVs are likely to be replaced over the next few months. Not only will retailers be dropping their prices in a desperate bid to reduce their inventory, many TVs will need to be replaced before February's transition to digital television.

But if you're going to buy a new TV set, do you know how to get rid of your old one? Do you know the rules for disposing of electronics in your community, and will your local recycler take care of your old devices in a responsible manner?

A group called the Electronic TakeBack Coalition has some advice.

First off, if you're worried about your TV working after the DTV transition, you should go to www.DTV.gov to find out if you can just buy a converter box.

If you are going to chuck the old set, find out the local rules for your community, and don't leave your old set outside "hoping someone will take it." According to the ETBC, that just sets up a situation where toxic lead and other substances can leach into the ground if it rains on your old set.

Next, try to make sure your recycler will handle your old set responsibly, and not send it to a third-world recycling center with few eco-friendly regulations. (You can often drop TVs off at retailers like Staples and Best Buy, who charge a small fee.)

Finally, before you buy your new set, check out the ETBC's new TV Recycling Report Card. The organization has ranked 14 major manufacturers and 3 retailers with house brands according to their TV takeback programs. Only Sony earned a grade above a C, and then only making a B- grade because they need more national recycling sites.

For more information, visit http://www.takebackmytv.com/

Knight Rider Recycled -- Reborn With Green Twist!

adevito — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Recycling is everywhere these days, especially in Hollywood, where old ideas get re-used every day. Case in point: the new remake of the 1980’s show Knight Rider.

Sure, the show gave us David Hasselhoff, who will be around longer than the plastic bottles in your local landfill. But the new version of his talking car is a lot more eco-friendly; it’s a solar/hybrid Ford Mustang, which replaces the old series’ Trans Am and its liquid hydrogen turbo engine.

We’re hoping the new Knight Rider will be on the air long enough for us to recycle an old Members Only jacket and grow a curly mullet worthy of The Hoff himself.

Want to find out more about recycling?

Recycling Tips: Did You Know You Cannot Recycle Messy Pizza Boxes?

The Benefits of Recycling: Let’s Talk Trash

Recycling the Looking Glass: When Garbage and Art Collide

Top 10 Recycling Resources

Recycled Record Snack Tray

The Benefits of Recycling Cardboard

The Art of Garbage

Reduce, Reuse… FREECYCLE

Recycle Those Electronics!

Back to Basics—RRR

Picking Up Garbage TVs and Recycling as Art

Students Recycle and Reduce Garbage: Take It Or Leave It

Recycling Your Garbage: Where Does it All Go?

"Car of the Future" Rolls Out This Spring

khallgeisler — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

NOVA's got a brand new bag: the PBS stalwart is taking open-source idea-sharing to documentary making. For its first experiment in "open production," NOVA has chosen "Car of the Future" as its subject. The one-hour show will explore the possibilites of emerging auto technologies, such as plug-in hybrids, hydrogen cells, and EVs with lithium-ion batteries--and beyond.

To whet your appetite, the show's web site features "My Car of the Future, Today." These are real-world alternative-fuel vehicles that are buzzing around right now, including world-record-holder Dennis Berube and "Current Eliminator V," his 160-mph EV.

Part of being an "open" production is letting the audience know what you're up to. To this end, there's a draft of the script on the site and a roster of experts, including Tom and Ray Magliozzi from NPR's "Car Talk," and Martin Eberhard, cofounder and CEO of Tesla Motors.

The other half of having an "open" process is listening to the public. Producers received nearly 900 emailed questions and ideas, some of which are answered by the show's panel of experts on the site. The producers will use the questions and suggestions submitted to shape the documentary and any materials that go along with it, including teacher's guides. There's also a pretty active forum for further ideas and discussions, with topics ranging from hydrogen fuel cells to Smart Cars to reading recommendations.

"Car of the Future" is slated to air on Earth Day this year, April 22, on your local PBS station, according to the latest news at AutoblogGreen.com.