Are you talking about those old big screen tube TV's or the smaller one's?

Funny you ask though. Since we live in the country we have our own dumpster which they empty every two weeks. It's good size.

We bought my MIL a flat screen a couple of years ago and we brought it home today because she passed away.

We had an old tube TV back here in the computer room, one of the small one's, but not that tiny either. It was going out so we kind of dumped it in the dumpster. :)

When we bought our big flat screen, the store delivered it and took our old big screen away. They get rid of them somehow.

If you have a Best Buy nearby they will take it (you have to get it there) and safely dispose of it. Most electronics are free to recycle, I believe PC's cost you $10.00 but they give you a $10.00 gift Card in return. If you have a way to get it there, its an option.

Thanks for the advice judiegal, even though I wasn't the OP. We have a tube tv sitting in the garage right now and didn't know what to do with it since we didn't want to just put it in the trash.
Dee

If it were mine, I'd put it at the curb with a sign reading FREE - WORKS! attached and watch it disappear within minutes. I guess it all depends on where you live as to whether or not that would work though. So it's not the latest technology, but there are still people who would take that kind of thing if it cost them nothing!

Ditto Jen. We've never tossed something like that. If you don't know someone you could give it to then Goodwill, Habitate for Humanity, etc. would probably take it. Or like Jen said, just put it out with a sign.

tina

We actually just today brought home a large tube tv from a relative who had recently purchased a flat screen and had no use for the "outdated" model. We were happy to have it, but also somewhat amused that the relative had gone to the thrift store to see what something similar might go for on the secondhand market and saw the same set for $20. The times, they are a-changin'! ;-)

Judiegal, thanks for the info on Best Buy.

From what I read online Goodwill/Salvation Army won't take it. Putting it curbside is a thought, but it's very heavy. It's a 27" Sony.

Where I live it's against the law to put electronics into a trash can or dumpster. Out county has a Hazardous Waste Facility that accepts TV's, computers, paint, lead batteries etc.

Do you have anything like that where you live?

We have an electronics recycling program, but TVs and stereos aren't accepted.

We also have a yearly hazardous recycle program, but they don't accept TVs. I did see where they listed Best Buy as an option. Maybe that's our best bet.

Here is a link that might be useful: EBR electronics recycling

I had to come back to thank you again, judiegal. I checked Best Buy online, and it looks like all of them will take electronics as part of their "green" program. My DH is excited to get rid of ours (it doesn't work, unlike natal's) finally!
Dee

A lot of places won't accept the old tvs any more since the switch to digital signals. Here, tvs must be recycled at the city hazardous waste collection site. Best Buy is also a great place to take your old set. Oakley, you might want to dig out that old set from the dumpster-lots of bad stuff inside that shouldn't go into a landfill or incinerator. :)

One of the big incentives to buy local was the fact that they took our old (broken) TV when they left. In California, one can not just dump old TV's in the dumpster. Oakley, maybe you should drag that TV out of the dumpster and take it to Best Buy...

Oakley, I agree with the suggestions to find a better, more environmentally-friendly way to dispose of it.

Always recycle instead of disposing (when possible).

Natal, I know we've taken one to Goodwill before but it may be like cyn said - before the digital switch. I'm pretty sure it would have been. Last year we put a small tube tv we'd had in our kitchen in our church's annual garage sale. Proceeds go to missons and it helps those who give clean out.

Best Buy does seem like a good choice. Here we also have the recycle program for electronics, but that's only a few times a year.

tina

I would, but there's nowhere out here that has a place for old TV's.

Can I do it just this one time? I promise I won't do it again. :)

Oakley, there quite a few Best Buys in OK. If you aren't near Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Stillwater, Tulsa, Owasso, or Muskogee, maybe you could hold on to it until you visit one of the cities. :)

EPA has a site to help you find places to recycle electronic items.

Here is a link that might be useful: Where Can I Donate or Recycle My Old Computer and Other Electronic Products?

Natal,

I posted mine on Freecycle. Someone picked it up within a few hours.

You can also post in the "free" section on Craigslist.

I live right outside of OKC, but we just don't have the time right now. It's not that big of a TV either. And I'm not getting in that dumpster to pull it out. lol.

I feel guilty, but this time I'm gonna have to let it pass. I PROMISE I won't do it again though. I didn't even know we weren't supposed to do it. What's so bad about an old TV being dumped in the landfill? Is there something harmful in them?

Natal, why won't Goodwill take your TV?

TVs contain lead. This is why you should recycle

I can't get Goodwill's site to open, but here's a list from another.

Here is a link that might be useful: what Goodwill will/will not take in donations

College students would love to have these. I would put it on Craigslist for a small amount or for free.

We gave ours away for free on CL.

The Goodwills here have certain times when they take them.

Oh well. Bottom line: Not only do old tvs have high amounts of lead, but they can contain other hazardous waste such as mercury, nickel, or cadmium. Nothing to lol about really. If everyone thinks that it is okay to dump their own little tv, the amount of lead, etc. that could conceivably leach into your ground water would astonish you. No matter what, just this once is really not okay in my mind. I don't have any grandchildren yet, but I firmly believe we owe it to the next generations to leave this world better than we found it.

Oakley - get in that dumpster and dig it out, woman! Heck, it's just your old trash in there, and nobody else's! ;-)

Seriously - I know it's not always easy to do the right thing, but it's always the right thing to do the right thing.

Yep, Oakley. Pull that TV out of your dumpster in thanks for your grand kids' beautiful fingers and toes and intact brains. When we know better, we must do better.

I agree Cyn - we need to think of our future generations.

I live in a rural area, but I've never heard of having your own dumpster. Not that I would want one on our property anyway, but never heard of it. We've rented one when cleaning out a house, or due to remodeling, etc. but here you can pay for garbage pick-up or do like we do - go to an area garbage/recyle center. Where we live (uphill) it would be a pain to leave garbage cans/recyle items out to be picked up. We actually have more recyle items than we do garbage and keep it seperated and it's easy to take each group of items to the proper place at the center. There is now also a small Goodwill shed/pickup center where you can leave certain items (nothing large).

So, how do you recyle Oakley with the dumpster? Where is the dumpster located?

tina

Like AuntJen, I was just given a HUGE old television set. A friend was getting rid of it because he got a flat screen. He told us it was the largest tube tv Sony ever made; at 40 inches screen width and 200+ pounds I believe it! That monster took 3 guys to haul it out of his house, into the truck and into ours. Luckily it fits perfectly in our LR corner. We'll use it as long as it works.

As for recycling I agree it is the best idea. I do think we might extend a little grace to Oakley on this one though...I'm sure each of us has had some non-earth friendly moments here or there.

Ann

Call Purple Heart and tell them you need a pickup. They will come in the house and carry the tv out for you.

Well it turns out Goodwill accepts TVs, so dh gave them the Sony and the unused digital converter box. Thanks for the help! Always appreciated!