EPA Revises Standards For Recycling Cathode Ray Tubes

Environmental Protection Agency

In an effort to increase the collection and recycling of cathode ray tubes (CRT), EPA announced on July 19 that it is simplifying the federal hazardous waste management requirements for CRTs and CRT glass destined for recycling.

Under these new regulations, used, unbroken CRTs are not regulated as hazardous waste unless they are stored for more than a year. EPA is setting simpler, more manageable standards for unbroken CRTs because the risk of lead releases from them is very low. Limited storage requirements apply only to CRT recyclers and collectors, officials said.

"A discarded CRT represents an opportunity lost," said EPA Assistant Administrator Susan Bodine. "This rule will help encourage the reuse and recycling of CRTs, which puts these resources back to productive use, rather than into the nation's landfills."

CRTs are the video display components of televisions and computer monitors. The glass in CRTs typically contains enough lead to require managing it as hazardous waste under certain circumstances. Under the previous regulations, businesses and other organizations that recycle or dispose of CRTs were sometimes unclear about the proper way to recycle or dispose of this equipment. That uncertainty sometimes prevented CRTs from being recycled and reused. EPA is changing CRT waste management requirements to eliminate this confusion so that more CRTs will be reused and recycled. About 57 million computers and televisions are sold in the United States annually, although many new models may not contain CRTs.

Air Cycle E-Waste Recycling Solutions

An electronics Bulk Pickup from Air Cycle is the most efficient way to recycle a large quantity of cathode ray tubes or other e-waste, while the EasyPak™ Electronics Recycling Container is perfect for a small quantity. Learn more » Air Cycle e-waste recycling