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Project educates about TV disposal

Written by Sarah Lutz

Tuesday, 28 October 2008 11:00 PM

From left, architecture graduate student Jose Martinez, senior Jim Wiese, junior J.P. Goldsmith, graduate student Andrew Moon and senior Jaron Ricketts are recycling old analog TVs for a project assigned in their Architecture and Environment class. This project is a response to the congressional mandate that Feb. 17 will be the last day television stations can broadcast in analog. (The Shorthorn: Stephanie Goddard)

Making the Switch

• The government issued a mandatory switch for all full-power television stations to broadcast only in digital, no longer offering the analog TV or those with “bunny ears.” The last day of analog broadcasting is Feb. 17, 2009.

• The switch will open parts of the broadcast spectrum to public safety communications like police, fire departments, and rescue squads. The government will auction the remaining broadcast spectrum to companies, that will then be able to offer consumers wireless services.

• Anyone with cable or satellite subscriptions on their analog TV will not be affected by the cut-off date. DVD players, VHS players and game systems will still work on analog TVs.

• The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is conducting a program to provide American homes with a converter box, which will convert digital signals to analog called the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program.

• The program began accepting applications for coupons in January 2008 and allows for two $40 coupons per household to be issued. The coupons will expire 90 days from mailing and can be applied for at www.dtv2009.gov or 1-888-388-2009 or 1-877-530-2638.

Source: www.dtv2009.gov

— Sarah Lutz

A group of architecture students are trying to keep old analog TVs and the dangerous chemicals that come with them out of local landfills as part of a project.

Congress mandated that next Feb. 18 be the first day television stations broadcast in digital only, as opposed to both analog and digital.

Architecture senior Jaron Ricketts said architecture professor Jane Ahrens assigned her Architecture and Environment class the project to make something sustainable that isn’t normally environmentally friendly. As part of the assignment, they also had to educate the public on the process.

“We wanted to do something that actually affects a lot of people right now and with this situation happening in February, that’s something that affects everybody,” Ricketts said. “Some of the other things are real long-term. Whereas this one, just recycling a TV of course, that’s long-term but it’s going to happen a lot more dramatically here soon.”

Architecture senior Jim Wiese said more than 20 million TVs could end up in landfills, and while there are electronic waste laws that prevent computers being dumped in landfills, there are Texas laws against throwing TVs into a landfill.

“People don’t really realize what makes up the TV and how much toxins are in it and what happens when those go into the landfill,” he said.

Lead, cadmium, brominated flame retardants (BFR), beryllium and plastics such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can all be found in analog TVs and many digital TVs, according to their project.

Beryllium and cadmium are both carcinogenic. Lead is toxic to the kidneys, nervous and reproductive systems and inhibits mental development of young children. BFRs can affect hormonal functions critical for normal development, and PVC can harm the immune and reproductive systems, according to the project.

Wiese said the group offered three solutions for those with analog TV.

“Keep it. Obviously that’s No. 1, if you can get the converter box.” He said. “Then the second choice would be to donate it either to Goodwill or one of your friends.”

Wiese said the last choice should be to recycle it.

The project says Sony, Dell, LG Electronics and Samsung all offer recycling and so do the recycling companies Intechra and HOBI International. Wiese said the Web site Earth911.com will tell users where they can recycle their television.

Architecture graduate student Andrew Moon said he wanted the project to focus on educating the public about their options.

“I think in a broader sense this makes you aware of everything you use down to like a toaster,” he said. “We all need to be careful about where things end up and not just blindly throw it away and think it’s going somewhere else because that’s eventually going to affect us.”
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 20 January 2009 04:18 PM )

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