Purchasing a new TV used to be a fairly straightforward ordeal. You´d go to your local electronics store and choose between different sizes of screens and maybe a few other details. Once LED screens made those old CRT, box-style TVs obsolete, however, purchasing a new television has become increasingly more complex. Today, consumes are bombarded with advertisements promising that the latest TV technology will drastically improve the “viewer experience.” After deciding on the best screen size for your needs (and what will fit on your living room wall), you´ll have to decide whether you want to upgrade to a TV that has either 4K, HDR, or OLED technology. For homeowners and individuals who have invested in smart home technology, a smart TV will also allow you to stream on-demand content, instantly, allow you to browse the web from your couch, scroll on social media, play fun smart TV games, and use the all-in-one remote.

Though new TV technology certainly can increase the quality of our home entertainment systems, they also come with a sizeable environmental footprint. In this short article, we take a look at some of the environmental implications that come with discarding old TVs. We then offer a few TV recycling solutions for homeowners, residents, and business owners of San Francisco. 

The Environmental Footprint of TVs

Most of us never actually see what is on the inside of our televisions. As long as the screen and sound are working properly, then most of us are perfectly content to leave the TV hanging on the wall. Lurking inside our increasingly complex television sets, however, are dozens of electronic components that are sourced from around the world, mined, manufactured, and assembled into the TVs that give us our entertainment. 

The materials used in making a television include metals, plastics, glass, fluorescent chemical coatings, solder, and silicon. Some TVs may include trace amounts of heavy metals such as mercury, lead, gallium, selenium, arsenic, zinc, cobalt, tin, palladium and aluminum. 

The older cathode ray tubes (CRT) televisions that many of us still keep in the attic or in a spare bedroom are notorious for the large amount of lead that they include. According to one recent report by Oregon State University, “a cathode ray tube (CRT) that contains four to eight pounds of lead, plus cadmium, mercury, toxic solvents and chemicals.” 

The LED, LCD, and OLED screens that have largely replaced CRT television sets may not have the dangerous lead and mercury levels of older TVs, but they do come with their own set of environmental problems. Nitrogen trifluoride is a type of gas that is widely used in the manufacturing process of flat-panel displays, photovoltaics, LEDs and other microelectronics. Studies have found that this gas could global climate change due to its high global warming potential. 

Both old and new TVs, then, come with an environmental footprint that needs to be taken into consideration. Unfortunately, new and improved TV technology is hitting the market on a yearly basis thus tempting people to upgrade their TVs more frequently. It is estimated that the average household in the United States replaces its TV every four to five years. 

Where exactly do all those used TVs end up? Unfortunately, the vast majority of TVs and other used electronics end up in local landfills where they are categorized as e-waste. The most common hazardous electronic items in our e-waste “stream” include LCD desktop monitors, LCD televisions, Plasma Televisions, TVs and computers with Cathode Ray Tubes. When improperly (and illegally) discarded into local landfills, these devices can leach dozens of the dangerous chemicals mentioned above into the soil, air, and local watersheds. 

TV Recycling Options in San Francisco 

Fortunately, TV recycling is on the rise. Many local governments around the country are more strictly regulating the disposal of old TVs. Furthermore, local recycling options are discovering that the heavy metals and other components in used TVs have a high value on the recycling market. 

Recology, the company that provides collection and disposal of municipal solid waste, recycling, and organics/compost to commercial and residential customers in California, allows San Francisco residents to dispose of up to 30 electronic items per month via their drop-off service. However, those electronic items cannot simply be thrown into the trash bag along with your other trash or recyclables. Rather, they need to be delivered without any other type of material. More than 30 items are charged at a rate of $1.50 per piece, and if the electronics are mixed with trash, the regular Recology tipping fee applies.

If you don’t have a way to physically take your used TV to the SF Transfer Station, Recology also offers one to two free home pickups every year. You will have to schedule a special pickup by calling the department. If your used TV is still in working condition, you may also be able to take it to a local Goodwill, Salvation Army store, or other thrift store that sells discounted used items to the general public. 

Many of us might have googled, ‘tv recycling near me’ to find the perfect solution. In addition, in our busy lives, many of us might not have the time to either take our used TVs to drop-off sites or schedule a special e-waste pickup with the local waste management company. Instead of simply storing your used TV in the basement or attic, hiring a professional junk removal company is often the most efficient and easy way to responsibly get rid of your used TVs and other used electronics. 

Junk King of San Francisco offers efficient and affordable junk removal services for residents, homeowners, and business owners of San Francisco. Whether you just have a couple of used items you want to get rid of, or are going through a major de-cluttering in your home or business, Junk King of San Francisco can help you avoid the headache of self-hauling your old junk to the nearest collection facility or recycling center. With a simple phone call or text, we can set up a time and date to come and help you get free up space in your home by getting rid of your old TVs and other e-waste items. 

Who is Junk King of San Francisco?

Junk King of San Francisco was started back in 2005 out of a garage in San Carlos. Over 15 years later, our business now has eight trucks and serves thousands of customers across the entire city of San Francisco. We have developed close relationships with dozens of recycling centers, thrift stores, non-profit organizations, and other interested parties to make sure that all your used junk is given every opportunity to be donated or recycled, instead of landfilled. In fact, we are able to recycle, donate, or repurpose around 60 percent of the junk that we pick up. We know that although electronic waste accounts for only 2 percent of America’s trash, it’s responsible for over 70 percent of the nation’s hazardous waste. For this reason, we are committed to doing our part to ensure that e-waste such as used TVs stay out of local landfills and are properly donated, refurbished, or recycled. 

Besides offering an easy way to recycle your old TVs, we are also able to help you get rid of regular trash, construction debris, household junk, yard waste, small and medium sized appliances, furniture and virtually anything that is not classified as toxic waste in an environmentally friendly manner. 

How to Contact Junk King San Francisco

To hire Junk King of San Francisco, simply call us for a free quotation or send us a text with photos of the items you need removed. We´ll send you a free quote, and once we have agreed upon a price and a two-hour window for pickup, our professional junk removal staff will send you a text 15-30 minutes before arrival to let you know we´re on our way. We´ll do all the heavy hauling, so you simply have to let us know which TV and other junk you want to get rid of and we´ll do the rest! 

Junk King of San Francisco offers the most reliable, efficient, affordable, and environmentally friendly junk removal service in San Francisco. We are the pioneers of recycling based junk removal right here in the Bay Area, and can help you reduce your environmental footprint by ensuring that your junk gets every opportunity to be recycled, upcycled, or donated. Give us a call at 1-888-888-JUNK, or book online today!