are lcd monitors hazardous brands

-“These chemicals are semi-liquid and can get into the environment at any time during manufacturing and recycling, and they are vaporized during burning,” said University of Saskatchewan environmental toxicologist and lead author John Giesy in a press release. “Now we also know that these chemicals are being released by products just by using them.”

-The researchers found the specific monomers isolated from the smartphones were potentially hazardous to animals and the environment. In lab testing, the chemicals were found to have properties known to inhibit animals’ ability to digest nutrients and to disrupt the proper functioning of the gallbladder and thyroid–similar to dioxins and flame retardants which are known to cause toxic effects in humans and wildlife.

-To be clear, the researchers didn’t observe any adverse health effects from the accumulation of liquid crystals in the human body; they only found that these crystals do in fact leak from devices, and that they have the potential to be toxic. “We don’t know yet whether this a problem, but we do know that people are being exposed, and these chemicals have the potential to cause adverse effects,” said Giesy.

-If you crack LCD screens and find the liquid crystal leakage, don’t panic. Just remember that the liquid crystal materials might not be more toxic than your detergents for stove or washroom. Just wash your hands with soup throughout. Never try to play with it or even worse to taste it. The liquid of the cracked computer screen will not evaporate, no emissions worries.

-Any electronics has environment impact and can’t be used landfills. If you want to get rid of old LCD monitors or LCD TVs, give them to electronic collection stations. Let’s the professionals to handle them. They will extract some precious metals/parts and make them into something useful or at least not hazard. FYI, liquid crystal materials are retrievable.

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

Technology is constantly evolving, bringing us new and better devices that leave us questioning what we ever thought was so great about those old ones in the first place. Last year’s mobile phones, TVs, and computers that use LCD screens are now dated by ever-improving models and a better grade of LCD – so replacing and upgrading the technology is important.

So, what should we do with these old devices and LCD hardware with a lifespan of 10-20 years that we now have lying sad and forgotten in the corner, in the attic, or out on the curb? Recycle them, of course! LCDs have their own regulations for recycling, so here are some tips on how to recycle your old LCD screens and devices.

LCDs that were manufactured before 2009 use cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) to backlight the display. These CCFL displays contain mercury, which makes them hazardous to dispose of or incinerate. Other electronic products can contain hazardous chemicals, such as heavy metals and brominated flame retardants. These materials can leak out of landfills and into groundwater, streams, etc., or can be transformed into “super toxicants” while being incinerated. Throwing away these types of devices can clearly be harmful, even today. There are still some harmful chemicals and materials inside electronic devices that will damage the environment if they aren’t disposed of properly—and many times, they aren’t.

Another big problem is that because of the turn-over rate of these electronic devices, LCD screens are just left sitting in landfills. Since they need to be disposed of in certain ways, they’re left to sit and waste away, taking up space in the landfills. Many states have laws prohibiting the disposal of electronic waste in landfills. Because of that, LCDs are likely to sit and rot, or be incinerated in large quantities. They also could be shipped off to other countries that don’t have these prohibiting laws, which is definitely not the best solution to the problem.

Many times, we get new and better gadgets before the current one even needs replacing. That old TV still works, still shows the picture clearly and there’s not a scratch on it. But this new one…well, it’s bigger. It has the Internet capabilities built right in and it can do backflips! Okay, not really, but the point is that we tend to get something new while we still have a perfectly functioning, but slightly older, model. Instead of keeping it in the attic, you can donate it or recycle it to companies and stores in your area that will take it. These places can resell it to people who don’t have the latest backflipping TV, mobile phone or tablet.

Since the issue was raised, there has been much research performed on the best method for recycling LCD screens. Different facilities have different ideas, practices and processes. Some of these processes include removing the hazardous waste materials from the screens/monitors; others believe in completely taking apart the device/screen piece by piece and seeing what can be resold or refurbished, then disposing of the rest in environmentally friendly ways.

Almost 98% of an LCD monitor can be recycled. All plastics are removed to be recycled into new products. Printed circuit boards can be recovered from LCD recycling and smelted to recover valuable metals, while cabling is stripped to reclaim copper and other metals.

Considering how frequently we get new electronic devices, being smart about LCD recycling can make a huge difference. General Digital encourages all of its customers to recycle their used computer monitors and televisions. Learn more about e-cycling from Maryland’s Department of the Environment, and Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection.

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

So, your old computer monitor has finally taken permanent turn for the worst and is now ready for disposal. What to do? Well, there may be a number of beneficial ways to dispose of an old computer monitor: recycling, donating and repurposing spare parts are options, but there are also a number of choices to avoid. In fact, simply tossing your old monitor could be hazardous, and in some cases, illegal.

That’s because, in order to work properly, many computer monitors contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment if released. For instance, LCD monitors produce visible light by sending electrical impulses to the mercury contained within them. Manufacturers continue to use the dangerous liquid since few other sources possess the qualities necessary to produce this desired effect.

Yet another factor regarding disposal is the increasing speed with which computer monitors and electronic devices containing hazardous wastes are being discarded. In 2005, the average lifespan for a computer monitor had shortened to about two years, down from the five years reported in 1992. Shorter lifespans keep consumers on the lookout for new monitors.

As consumers continue to seek out newer styles or the latest technological upgrade, turnover rates have increased. This, in turn, means an increased number of computer monitors destined for disposal on an almost yearly basis.

This also means it is crucial for consumers to have a working knowledge of both the environmental risks, and in some states, the legal risks of improperly disposing old computer monitors. Luckily, a number of e-recycling services are well versed in the best methods of disposal available today and can assist with recycling monitors safely.

Computer monitors, like so many electronic devices can sometimes contain a number of dangerous chemicals. Disposal can cause a release of toxins into the air, ground water or soil. When hazardous electronics are disposed near lakes and streams, the water often becomes contaminated.

Thus, it is important to know which monitors are hazardous and why. The standards for this assessment are usually specified in country-specific regulations imposed by governmental bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency here in the U.S.

According to the EPA, an electronic device is considered hazardous under a number of complex circumstances. Hazardous waste belongs to a special EPA category unto itself and has special rules attached to disposal. The regulations for disposal of hazardous wastes may vary from state to state.

Electronic devices can be deemed hazardous for a number of reasons — mainly their contents. Computer monitors, in particular, are susceptible to a hazardous waste categorization. Typically, the older a monitor, the more likely it contains hazardous components.

For instance, both old and new monitor models tend to contain mercury, as mentioned. Other chemical contaminants, like cadmium, lithium and harmful flame retardants, can also be found in monitors. In addition, some of the outer shells of monitors can contain phosphorous coatings or be made of PVC plastics.

Knowing the hazardous material contained within computer monitors makes it easy to see that they do not belong in landfills. In most cases, when the monitors remain intact, there is a reduced risk of leakage. However, the possibility of a monitor remaining intact over time in a landfill is extremely slim.

Every one of the chemicals contained in monitors could seep into soil. Contaminated soil eventually works its way into groundwater reservoirs, thereby poisoning water supplies and weakening local ecosystems. Clearly, the effects of landfilling monitors are extremely hazardous and detrimental.

A number of states have taken action to prevent environmental exposure to hazardous chemical found in computer monitors and other electronic devices. Today, 20 states have active e-waste landfill bans in place.

For instance, Illinois, a state that enacted its landfill ban in 2012, bans most electronic devices, including computer monitors from both landfills and incinerators. An incinerator ban on electronics is significant, because electronics contain a number of chemicals that are not harmful until heated. Heating can release toxic gases into the atmosphere. Few other states ban both these types of disposals.

Some states have laws in place beyond the basic landfill ban. In Maryland and Connecticut, laws are in place that require manufacturers to label those electronic devices that contain mercury. Such labeling laws aim to identify electronics containing hazardous wastes, thus increasing the likelihood that these will be disposed properly.

Manufacturers are required to work with recycling centers and state or municipal programs to ensure that e-waste is properly recycled. In some instances, the responsibility also includes regulating the way a device is made. Such requirements urge manufacturers to consider available alternatives to the hazardous chemicals and structural materials traditionally found in computer monitors and other electronic devices.

Due to the environmental hazards and legal issues involved, consumers must keep informed about the most suitable and safe way to dispose of computer monitors. Here is where it is important to know the collection methods in your city or neighborhood and to make sure to keep informed about the requirements at your local recycling center.

Excellent resources for more information about proper disposal in your area can be found at your local chamber of commerce, city hall or community center. Because each community may vary in its response to the need for proper collection and disposal of computer monitors, it is important to inquire first, before disposal, to get the details you will need.

The best way to ensure that tossing your old computer monitor is neither hazardous nor illegal is to find a electronics recycling service capable of properly handling electronic devices. The recycler can help with collecting and recycling the device in a way that both complies with state and federal guidelines and protects the environment.

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

Despite the magical appearance of modern screens, these marvels use very real resources. Monitors have long been the most resource-heavy parts of a modern computer, due in no small part to their size. Because of their size, a monitor manufacturers’ usage of certain compounds creates greater environmental concerns than the computer to which the monitor is attached.

Cathode Ray Tube Basics The first monitors were built off of much of the same technology as televisions. Known as Cathode Ray Tube, or CRT, monitors, these behemoths use a single, large vacuum tube with an electron gun at one end which fires light through a mask. The mask is charged in such a way to block certain wavelengths at specified locations, creating images. These monitors have been largely replaced by Liquid Crystal Displays, or LCDs.

Liquid Crystal Displays Liquid crystal displays are significantly thinner, lighter and higher image quality than CRT monitors. LCDs use a layer of specially made crystals mounted to an electrical grid. Small charges at different coordinates of the grid can change the color of each reactive crystal. A small fluorescent or LED bulb is then mounted along the long edge of the monitor to light it up.

Chemicals of CRT The biggest chemical concern in a CRT comes from the tube itself. The glass vacuum tube is lined with a significant amount of lead – as much as 4 pounds by some estimates. Cadmium is another highly toxic mineral found in CRT monitors which threatens workers who dispose of these electronics. To a lesser degree, CRTs also contain arsenic.

Chemicals of an LCD LCDs made great strides towards eliminating the chemicals used by its predecessor, the CRT. However, LCDs still contains small amounts of lead as well as mercury in fluorescently-lit models. In addition to the chemicals actually contained within the LCD, the manufacturing process of the liquid crystals uses nitrogen trifluoride, a chemical known to have an impact 17,000 times greater than carbon dioxide on global warming.

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

Video display products that contain cathode ray tubes (CRTs) can give off x-rays. The CRT is a specialized vacuum tube that receives and displays images on an electronic screen. Most modern computers monitors and televisions (TVs) today use liquid crystal display (LCD), Light-emitting diodes (LED), or plasma.

In the early 1960s, some TVs with CRTs were found to emit excessive x-radiation, and a federal performance standard was created to protect the public from this hazard. Today, electronic technology for TVs and computer monitors with CRTs has changed so drastically that the level of risk of x-ray exposure is almost non-existent. Manufacturers of products that use CRTs must certify that their products comply with the federal performance standard for the life of the product.

TV receivers and computer monitors containing CRTs no longer pose a risk of emitting any x-radiation. Since the creation of the federal performance standard, the FDA has tested hundreds of TV receivers and computer monitors and rarely encountered any that were unsafe.

Manufacturers of electronic radiation emitting products sold in the United States are responsible for compliance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), Chapter V, Subchapter C - Electronic Product Radiation Control.

Manufacturers of televisions and video display products are responsible for compliance with all applicable requirements of Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (Subchapter J, Radiological Health) Parts 1000 through 1005:

In addition, TV receivers and monitors with CRTs must comply with radiation safety performance standards in Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (Subchapter J, Radiological Health) Parts 1010 and 1020:

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

I used to work for a laptop manufacturer doing support, and we were instructed that in the event that a customer ever called reporting a leaking LCD we were to IMMEDIATELY tell them to hang up the phone, call emergency services, and get a hazmat team onsite, while we escalated the call to our internal dedicated safety response team. That seems like a pretty harsh response (it"s more severe than what I would have been expected to do for anything short of "My laptop set my house on fire") so I"m inclined to think this stuff isn"t especially safe. It may be true that it"s only a hazard if ingested, though; based on my semi-limited knowledge of the chemistry involved that seems possible. If it were me, though, I"d take the extra cautious route just in case.

(In practice, this basically never happens short of a severe puncture like a blade would cause because of the way these things are manufactured. I"ve actually never personally heard of a situation where an LCD was leaking short of taking a bullet.) EDIT: Let me just make this stronger. This hardly ever happens, ever, anywhere, ever - it"s designed to prevent exactly this sort of problem. Unless you actually witness it in action there is probably no reason to worry about it. See further discussion in comments.

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

Senate Bill 20 (SB 20) (Sher), known as the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003, established a statewide program to promote and fund the collection and recycling of hazardous electronic devices beginning July 1, 2004. Under the new law, retailers will collect an advance recycling fee on covered electronic devices at the time of purchase.

The money collected will be used to fund an electronic waste recycling program that reimburses authorized electronic wastes collectors and recyclers. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) jointly administer the program. SB 20 identifies covered electronic devices as cathode ray tubes (CRTs), flat panel screens, and other similar devices that DTSC determines to be hazardous. DTSC’s Hazardous Materials Laboratory is now testing consumer electronic devices to

A preliminary report on the results of recent toxicity testing on laptop computers and liquid crystal display (LCD) desktop computer monitors indicate that these devices contain hazardous levels of copper and lead. The determination means that these devices will join CRTs as covered devices regulated under SB 20.

The lab’s findings are available in a report entitled “Determination of Regulated Elements in Laptop Computers and LCD Desktop Monitors for SB 20.” The report details how laptop computers and LCD monitors of different brands and models were analyzed. Testing methods included the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure and the California Waste Extraction Test. The results of these tests were compared to the hazardous waste regulatory thresholds for each analysis.

The SB 20 regulations and related information are available on DTSC’s Web site’s Laws page and on California Legislative Information’s site under Health and Safety Code, Division 20, Chapter 6.5, and Westlaw under Title 22 Division 4.5.

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

If you’re looking to recycle a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, which have been mostly phased out of the sales market at this point, it contains four to eight pounds of lead. If you have a liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen, it’s likely being backlit by small fluorescent bulbs containing mercury. Both are toxic metals that you want to keep inside the monitor.

This means it’s extra important to keep these monitors out of landfills but also treat them with care when recycling. Here are a few steps to take when preparing your monitor for recycling:

It’s highly unlikely that your curbside recycling program accepts computer monitors, even if it collects “scrap metal.” These screens are bulky and made up of multiple materials, so you’ll definitely want to check before putting them in the recycling bin. If your area offers bulky waste recycling, computer monitors may be accepted, but it’s a good idea to verify that they’ll be responsibly recycled.

The two most common electronics recycling certifications for North American recyclers are the Basel Action Network’s (BAN)e-Stewardsand Sustainable Electronics Recycling International’s (SERI)R2 Standard.

BAN has been certifying recyclers since 2006 to ensure that no electronics are exported overseas. R2 (originally R2 Solutions) has been around since 2008, and focuses more on certifying the recycling process and data destruction.

There are computer monitor recyclers that aren’t e-Stewards or R2 certified, but if you’re wanting to recycle with one of these certified companies, find a directory of them ate-stewards.organdsustainableelectronics.org.

Yes.Staples has been recycling computer monitorssince 2007, andBest Buy followed suitin 2008. Both stores accept both CRT and LCD screens, as well as other computer parts. Best Buy charges a fee to recycle monitors unless you happen to live in California.

No, especially if you are trying to recycle a CRT monitor. The costs of breaking down these screens while responsibly removing the lead and/or mercury limits their acceptance by electronics recyclers, and many will specifically exclude monitors from their materials list.

If you can’t separate your screen from the computer processor, you should treat the entire system as a monitor for recycling. You’ll want to unplug all the components (keyboard, mouse, etc.) and find a recycler that accepts CRT monitors. This company would also accept the attached CPU.

Most computer monitor manufacturers are now offering take-back recycling, either by partnering with retailers like Best Buy, Goodwill or Staples, or through a mail-in program (usually only for LCD screens). You’ll want to search your manufacturer’s website for details on its specific program. None of the retailers mentioned above exclude certain brands of monitors, though.

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

Approximately 2,000 tonnes of shredded small domestic appliance (SDA) plastics are now being handled by the team every month, at their 5000m² warehouse in Preston.

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

"Toxic dust" found on computer processors and monitors contains chemicals linked to reproductive and neurological disorders, according to a new study by several environmental groups.

"This will be a great surprise to everyone who uses a computer," said Ted Smith, director of the Toxics Coalition. "The chemical industry is subjecting us all to what amounts to chemical trespass by putting these substances into use in commerce. They continue to use their chemicals in ways that are affecting humans and other species."

Researchers collected samples of dust from dozens of computers in eight states, including university computer labs in New York, Michigan and Texas, legislative offices in California, and an interactive computer display at a children"s museum in Maine. They tested for three types of brominated flame retardants suspected to be hazardous.

Penta- and octa-brominated diphenyl will be taken off the market by the end of the year. Environmental groups are demanding legislation that would ban deca-brominated diphenyl, too.

PBDEs, which have caused neurological damage in laboratory rats in numerous studies, are related to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs have been used in fire extinguishers, fluorescent lights and liquid insulators since the 1920s. PCBs were outlawed in the 1970s, but the toxins don"t erode and still persist in the environment.

Scientists have not directly correlated exposure to PBDEs with specific diseases or developmental impairment. Researchers at University of California, Davis, and elsewhere are studying possible links between brominated flame retardants and autism, but results are years away.

Independent researchers who reviewed the new study say consumers shouldn"t throw out their computers, and they needn"t wear special gloves or minimize exposure to computer monitors. There"s no known way to remove dust-born PBDEs, so special wipes or sprays wouldn"t reduce chemical exposure.

"The levels in the dust are enough to raise a red flag, but not enough to create a crisis," said Dr. Gina Solomon, senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council and assistant professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco. "I have an old computer monitor in front of me now, and I"m not about to throw it away. But when I get a new one, it darn well will be free of these chemicals."

Dell and many other computer makers continue using a flame retardant related to PBDEs on circuit boards. They use lead, mercury and other toxins in central processing units and monitors. But Dell, along with Apple and others, stopped using PBDEs in 2002.

"People can be very confident about their new computer purchase," Dell spokesman Bryant Hilton said. "We"ve worked a lot with suppliers, and we require audits and material data sheets on all our products. It"s an important topic to be aware of, and brominated flame retardants are something we"ve been very focused on and will continue to be focused on."

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

HP is not alone: Around the world, electronics companies are working to reduce their use of chemicals that are known to be hazardous to human health, the environment, or both.

From cellphones to computers to televisions, electronics are manufactured with a long list of substances that are known to be toxic, including metals such as lead and hexavalent chromium, and other contaminants such as phthalates and brominated flame retardants. They all serve specific roles: Lead is extremely effective as a solder, for example, and flame retardants keep our computers from bursting into flames while we type.

The use of such chemicals has given the electronics industry a reputation for jeopardizing the health of workers and the environment on both the manufacturing and disposal end of things. Some studies have suggested that electronics manufacturing workers, who are often exposed to chemicals such as benzene and lead that are known to have detrimental health impacts, experience elevated rates of certain cancers and other diseases. And globally, most electronic waste sent overseas is moved illegally to poor areas where people look to the waste as a source of income: They burn cables to get to the copper inside, for example, releasing extremely toxic substances such as cadmium, chromium, and brominated flame retardants.

Growing awareness of these issues has led consumers to pressure companies to become more sustainable. They’re aided in the process by ratings systems such as the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT, which gives consumers information they need to choose products that reduce the threat of e-waste.

Facing this increase in public pressure — including demand for highly rated products — as well as emerging regulations around hazardous chemicals, such as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment and REACH in Europe, the industry is finding incentive to change how it operates. That incentive is buoyed by initiatives such as the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council in the US and Electronics Watch in Europe, which encourage large-scale purchasers, such as governments, to prioritize sustainability in their product choices.

As a result, a growing number of companies as well as nonprofits and industry associations such as the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative are working to reduce or eliminate the use of toxic chemicals in electronics products and replace them with safer alternatives. At the United Nations Environment Programme-hosted International Conference on Chemicals Management in Geneva last fall, participants, including more than 100 governments, non-governmental organizations, and some industry representatives, signed a resolution detailing initiatives for reducing hazardous chemicals in electronics.

Those initiatives include promoting public and private partnerships focused on product stewardship and extended producer responsibility; encouraging electronics designs that reduce the need for hazardous chemicals and allow materials to be recovered; working with retailers to expand sustainable options for consumers; and adopting policies that work toward hazardous chemical reduction.

"If you solve a problem at the upstream stage — if it’s designed in a proper way, if the hazardous components are replaced by less or non-hazardous ones — the problem downstream will be less," says Tadesse Amera, a steering committee member of IPEN, a global network focused on safer use of chemicals, who participated in the Geneva discussions. "We are not talking about waste. We are talking about the whole process. That was our argument, and we were accepted for that."

To eliminate certain chemicals, electronics companies need to know if and where they’re using them in the first place. But modern supply chains have become so long and complex that many electronics companies don’t actually know which substances are in all the parts they use in their products.

Fortunately, the number of tools to help companies do this is also growing. GreenScreen gives companies like HP a way to identify hazardous chemicals and safer alternatives. Similar databases in Europe, such as the Substitution Support Portal, also help companies search for and evaluate alternatives to hazardous chemicals, as well as provide guidance on the process of chemical substitution.

While HP is working to get PVC out of its power cables, it has taken on a number of other challenges as well, including eliminating halogenated substances. Apple, meanwhile, has eliminated its use of lead, reduced its use of brominated flame retardants and eliminated PVC from its power cords — although it won’t say what it uses instead. According to Smith, this is so independent observers cannot say whether the substitute is safer. Apple also has stopped using some solvents that are dangerous to workers during manufacturing, according to Joel Tickner, director of the Green Chemistry & Commerce Council, a project based at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

"There’s been a lot of writing about toxicity in the electronics supply chain. I think what’s new is global collaboration, stronger focus on purchasing, collaboration among electronics companies really starting to dig into their supply chains," Tickner says. "That’s what Apple and HP are doing."

"Until we have better global systems for electronics take-back, we have to assume that these are going to be put back into the environment somewhere at the end of their life," says Tickner.

While there is little sign of take-back systems becoming commonplace, Sarah O’Brien, director of stakeholder engagement at EPEAT, sees some hope in the area of reducing — or at least slowing the growth of — the overall waste stream. She points to the nascent modular phone as an example of innovative thinking that can mitigate this aspect of the electronics life cycle. If one piece breaks, you can repair or replace that part, rather than the whole phone, reducing discards and thus their adverse environmental and health impacts.

There are also efforts to turn things that would otherwise become e-trash into the raw materials for new products. Dell launched a closed-loop recycling program in 2014 that turns old plastics into new Dell products, for example. The program is focused on plastics, but the company is looking to expand the model.

"We would love to see global understanding on things like which hazardous substances should not be used," Steinberger says. "If a substance is dangerous, it’s dangerous in any country. The electronics industry is not a clean industry. We are using lots of chemicals, and I think it’s about time that we take some responsibility for the products we produce."

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are lcd monitors hazardous brands

A cathode ray tube (CRT) is the glass video display component of an electronic device (usually a television or computer monitor). EPA encourages repair and reuse as a responsible ways to manage CRTs. If reuse or repair are not practical options, CRTs can be recycled. Recycled CRTs are typically disassembled so that valuable materials can be recovered.

Due to the presence of lead located in the funnel glass, CRTs marked for disposal are considered hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). However, CRT glass and used CRTs that are recycled or exported for recycling are not considered solid or hazardous waste under RCRA if certain conditions are met (See title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations - CFR - section 261.4(a)(22)).

CRTs and CRT glass were once easily recycled into new CRTs. However the demand for new CRTs has collapsed in favor of new flat panel technologies. Because of rising costs, negative economic incentives and shifts in CRT glass markets, some CRT processors and recyclers are choosing to store the glass indefinitely rather than send it for recycling or disposal, which increases the risk of mismanagement and/or abandonment of CRTs. EPA has begun a dialogue with all parts of the electronics recycling community – including manufacturers, recyclers, non-governmental organizations, and governmental entities – to encourage the identification and development of sustainable solutions to the CRT stockpile challenge.

Additional resources are availablefor those interested in EPA’s ongoing efforts to facilitate discussion within the electronics recycling community to help move towards a solution to the end-of-life management of CRTs.

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

That"s because it"s quite likely that you have a few old computers stashed in their somewhere. In fact, it"s possible that if you"re moving your place of business, you may have stacks of old monitors, PCs, and various other types of outdated and unusable electronics. So, what do you do with them?

That includes your old batteries, too, by the way. And those old computer monitors are actually toxic. That"s right - they can contain up to eight pounds of lead in their glass tubes. Not to mention that the inside of the tubes were coated with toxic phosphorousdust.

Many recycling programs have been established across North America, and they"re dedicated to making sure used monitors aren"t tossed in landfills to rot. And, some states like California, require that these devices and equipment be properly disposed of for recycling.

However, there are some things you should know about what your monitors contain, how they can hurt the environment, and how to find a reliable recycling service. Not all recycling programs are trustworthy, and it"s up to you to find one to whom you can confidently hand over your monitor.

Similar to CRT televisions, CRT monitors use the same core concept and technology. While they performed well for the time, almost everyone has switched to LCD over the years. In fact, it is now almost impossible to find and purchase a new CRT device.

Disposing of them is not simple, however, as the chemicals and components within CRT monitors are hazardous, even toxic, and must be handled and disposed of properly.

If left in a landfill, for example, these monitors slowly degrade, allowing toxic chemicals and heavy metals to enter the soil. From there, they can find their way back into the human ecosystem through plants and animals.

The most notable metal contained in CRT monitors is lead but they also contain cadmium, which is highly toxic, and small amounts of arsenic. Flame retardants used in the construction of many electronics are also highly toxic when disposed of improperly.

LCD monitors have largely replaced CRT in most homes as those dinosaurs went out of production as far back as 2007. But that doesn"t mean the LCD units aren"t detrimental to the environment when illegally dumped or thrown away in a landfill.

While LCD monitors are inherently stable and not a health hazard while being used, once they are disposed of they possess the potential for releasing hazardous material.

The international research team analyzed 362 chemicals used in LCD screens and found that nearly 100 have the potential to be toxic. These particles don"t break down quickly and have "high mobility" in the environment.

In addition, recent research has suggested that liquid crystal monomers - the synthetic chemicals that make LCDs work - contain a variety of toxic chemicals, which tests have shown can leach into the atmosphere.

If you have the tech knowledge, you can also revitalize old monitors for a new cause. If you have the time and patience, there are many ways you can try to extend the usable life of your monitor, as well as the potential to recoup some of its cost.

If your monitor is broken, obsolete, or otherwise useless, however, you will be better off recycling it. This isn"t always an easy process, unfortunately, causing many people to hold onto their old CRT monitors because they aren"t sure what to do with them.

However, you have probably long ago made the switch to LCD and the good news is that there are many recycling programs accept your old LCD monitors, as well as you ancient CRT, for a small fee.

The problem for recyclers is that CRT recycling is an expensive process that is not highly profitable. So, for that reason, many recycling programs must charge a fee to accept CRT monitors and televisions.

Keep in mind, too, that CRT technology was developed long before environmental concerns were a priority in our society, so they aren"t the most recycle-friendly devices.

However, most people are happy to pay a small fee to get these clunky relics out of their homes. Dumping them is illegal in many places, and curbside garbage programs are instructed not to pick them up. That leaves people with one option: bite the bullet and pay the fee.

A word of caution here: while many recycling programs do take these electronics off your hands, that doesn"t mean they"re doing the right thing with them. Some companies make their money by exporting CRT and LCD monitors to developing countries, where they are picked apart, burned, or left to rot.

While you could search online for environmentally-friendly recycling program that specializes in computer monitors, hardware, and other e-waste, we have a much easier solution. Just call the pros at Junk King!

The good news is that a junk recycling service like Junk King offers far more than just genuinely green recycling processes for old computer monitors. In fact, at Junk King, we take much, much more than just monitors and other types of e-waste; we also accept things like broken-down appliances and old furniture and even used mattresses.

We take just about anything and everything except for hazardous waste. And after we pick it up and haul it away for you, your junk is sorted through, organized, and recycled, if possible. In fact, we succeed in getting up to 60 percent of everything we collect a new life elsewhere.

are lcd monitors hazardous brands

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