Toxic TVs: Is the digital switchover damaging the environment?

An increasing number of analogue television sets are being discarded and replaced with their digital-ready counterparts. This could carry an alarming environmental cost - televisions often contain dangerously toxic elements, including mercury and lead, which make their disposal and recycling difficult. - THE ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT of the DIGITAL TV SWITCHOVER 1 SO WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THE OLD 'TOXIC BOXES'? In the UK, we throw away a million tonnes of electrical and electronic waste every year, and it is estimated by the U.S. Government that 40% of the heavy metals in landfills (including lead, cadmium and mercury) come from discarded electronic equipment. 40% Proportion of heavy metals in US landfill that is from e-waste. End-of-life electronics, or 'e-waste', is already one of the fastest growing waste streams in the European Union. The amount of e-waste produced in the EU is expected to grow by almost a third from the already considerable annual sum of 9.1 million tonnes in 2005 to an enormous 12.3 9.1 12.3 2005 2020 E-waste produced in Millions million tonnes by 2020. per year. Astonishingly, 67% of e-waste collected in the EU remains unaccounted for: either 'dumped' in regular landfill, illegally exported or sent to substandard 33% treatment facilities. Proportion of e-waste collected in the EU treated according to the WEEE Directive. 2 EFFECTS OF THE DIGITAL SWITCHOVER ON TV DISPOSALS ......................................................... In the 6 months following Devon switching to a digital TV signal, Devon County Council handled 80,000 unwanted TV sets. Shockingly, this equates to 1 unwanted TV for every 9 Devon residents. Friends of the Earth has stated that using products until the end of their working lives could save 800 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. 800 million tonnes equates to the amount of CO2 produced by 133 million households in one year. CO - 10 million of households Source: DigitalChoices.co.uk Comments on The Environment Impact of The Digital TV Switchover. © 2011 Digital Choices