Why is Recycling So Hard?
I had a very terrible experience recently – namely recycling a TV, some old LED monitors, a couple computers, etc….
In the past I wouldn’t have cared much as I was naive to the amount of waste that we put into our environment and the impacts of doing so. But, as I have become more aware of dangers, I have tried to be more diligent about doing my part to bring my wastefulness under control.
The main reason to recycle these items is simple: THROWING THEM IN THE TRASH IS ILLEGAL!!! I know that probably comes as a surprise to most, but you cannot legally dispose of e-waste in the trash – you can face fines from your municipality, county and state – which sucks. And it sucks even more trying to find out how to get rid of this the right way – it’s not easy. In reality, the system makes it easier to harm our environment than it does for us to help our environment – which is terrible and is evidence of things needing to change.
So here’s what I found out in my quest to actually recycle a TV that I bought from BestBuy…
BestBuy will ONLY recycle the old TV IF you pay for GEEKSQUAD to install your new TV…Essentially, you need to PAY AN EXTRA $99 for a television just to get rid of an old one – and quite frankly, this is bullshit. To make matters worse, you cannot drop off an old TV in PA to a BestBuy store, and if you are lucky enough to live in a state where you can drop off a TV at a Best Buy it’s GOING TO COST YOU $25-$30; or you can SCHEDULE A PICKUP FOR $99.
I’m so pissed off that I even bought from BestBuy to begin with. Why would I need to pay you to take an old tv that I bought from you when I am paying you to buy a new TV? Shouldn’t you take it free of charge? And let’s not even get started on the fact that when (or if) they recycle the TV, they will be reclaiming valuable metals that will be resold. So essentially, I NEED TO PAY BEST BUY TO MAKE MONEY. If you don’t believe me, here is a quote from their website:
The products are removed from our stores, consolidated, and then delivered directly to one of our contracted recycling partners. From there, the recyclers determine if the product can be repaired, repurposed or recycled. To ensure all products collected for recycling through Best Buy are handled and processed responsibly, we partner directly with qualified and respected recycling companies. The recyclers recover ozone-depleting chemicals and other waste streams from discarded refrigerators and freezers. PCBs, mercury, used oil, refrigerants and insulating foam are properly dealt with through the best environmental practices available. Using various technologies, our recyclers dismantle the units, separating out the commodities (metals, plastics, glass, etc.). The recyclers ensure the reclaimed commodities are recycled and repurposed into new products.
I’m not sure if you caught that or not, but BEST BUY WILL USE YOUR PRODUCT TO RECLAIM MATERIALS TO MAKE NEW PRODUCTS AND CHARGE YOU FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF MAKING MONEY. So, with that said, I am not a fan of BestBuy and probably won’t bring my business there anymore.
I couldn’t take the TV to Goodwill…
Even though their website says they take electronics and will e-cycle them, Televisions aren’t part of the accepted machines- which means that even if the TV is completely functional, can be resold to make make money for a mission, etc…I couldn’t drop it off there. Truth be told I almost had half the mind to drop it off anyway and let them deal with the hassle, but didn’t because it wasn’t Goodwill’s fault that BestBuy has such a shitty policy.
Recycling Events
After calling my county office, I did find a local recycling event that would take electronics for a fee. But, these only happen about twice a year, and then require you to pay for the convenience. And just to be clear, it was quite inconvenient that I would’ve needed to drive an hour away adding emissions into the atmosphere just to pay to get rid of a TV that would harm the environment if thrown away – essentially I needed to HARM THE ENVIRONMENT TO NOT HARM THE ENVIRONMENT…talk about an oxymoron.
Why I’m pissed off…
I actually wanted to do the right thing…
I actually wanted to recycle my old TV…
I actually didn’t want to contribute to growing landfills…
I actually didn’t want hard metals leaking into the environment…
…and because governments and businesses make it so much easier to do the wrong thing instead of the right thing, I JUST THREW IT IN THE TRASH.