Switchover almost here
Digital conversion means more TVs need recyclingBy JILL SCHRAMM, Staff Writer jschramm@minotdailynews.com
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The arrival of high-definition television creates a potential for more old TVs to be headed for the junk pile.
Cable services and converter boxes means a lot of TVs will be able to stay in service, but many people also are taking this opportunity to invest in a new flat screen.
In Minot, there are options other than putting that old television on the curb to go to the landfill. Televisions contain lead and other hazardous materials so the city would like to keep them out of the landfill. The city is considering including televisions in a household hazardous waste collection program to be held in May, said Alan Walter, public works director.
Although televisions aren't on the list of items accepted by local recycling operations, Best Buy will take them. Best Buy began a pilot program last summer in which it will accept up to two electronic items per customer per day for recycling at no cost to the consumer. That program continues to be in effect.
Adrian Benz, pollution prevention coordinator with the North Dakota Health Department, said it's been difficult to promote recycling because options are limited, especially with the poor market for recyclables at this time. But even old TVs can remain useful for playing DVDs or video games, he said.
A cable-ready television in working order could find a new home through a Minot thrift store. The stores do take old TVs with some limitations. The Second Chance Store of Dakota Boys & Girls Ranch won't take consoles or televisions so old that they operate with dials because there is no market for them. The Salvation Army Thrift Store has a limit on how many it will stock in the store and only had a couple of openings Tuesday.
Scott Harvey, manager of Goodwill Retail Store, said the coming of high-definition has had a minimal effect on the number of televisions being donated.
"We are seeing a little bit of an influx there but nothing dramatic," he said.
The electronics industry originally predicted sales of new TVs could be up 10 percent due to the conversion to digital. The number of old televisions being replaced would have been significant in that case. But the sales figure was lowered to 2 percent because of the recession.
The scheduled switchover to digital will be Feb. 17. However, Congress could push back the date because of concerns that its converter box coupon program may be running out of money.
The government is providing consumers up to two $40 coupons, good toward the purchase of a converter box to allow a television not capable of receiving a digital signal to access that signal. Homes that subscribe to cable will automatically get high definition if their televisions are digital-capable.
Congress is considering delaying the conversion to accommodate a backlog of digital converter box coupon requests. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration reported that the coupon program has spent $720 million of its allotted $1.34 billion, and remaining funds are only enough to cover coupons issued but not yet redeemed. That's based on 100 percent of coupons being redeemed, though.
Through Jan. 6, North Dakotans had requested 93,309 converter box coupons and redeemed 41,002, according to NTIA. Residents in the "587" zip code area had requested 14,971 coupons. Minot residents requested more than 8,000 coupons and have redeemed about 3,300 coupons.
