Audio: Where to Recycle Old TVs

I called up my local Goodwill store the other day and asked if they still took an old but working TV as a donation. Sometimes, I was told, but not just now. It seems they've got more than they can handle these days.

I'd bet it's because of the transition to digital television. The switchover has encouraged many of us to buy modern, flat-panel sets. Millions old TVs sit unused as we ponder if we should donate them to Goodwill, which might not even want them.

I spoke this weekend with WTOP about how we can recycle TVs. Many manufacturers will take back their old models for free. Otherwise, consumers usually must pay to recycle TVs, which normally can't be done for a profit.

Even trashing them is less of an option. More and more municipal haulers and landfills won't take TVs because of their hazardous waste, which is a particular problem with tube models.