This whole digital TV conversion thing has been called the largest government-mandated obsolescence program ever put into place. Every household has been eligible for converter box coupons. But the problem is, so much attention has been focused on the “in with the new” side that some have neglected the “out with the old.” There’s not enough room in the landfills for the all the old sets. Plus, the tubes contain a substantial amount of lead, which can leech into groundwater. Attempts have made to keep them out of landfills. One solution is to hold those manufacturers who made the TVs more responsible. Many of them now offer drop-off locations.
There is an EPA site with more info:
www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/ecycling/donate.htm
There is no junk drawer big enough to hold all those old TVs. Few people really want to save them anyway. They aren’t like the old tube radios that some people collect. I have one, and it sounds pretty good, and it looks nice too.
When television was a new technology, it was introduced into family homes as a piece of furniture, with a real wood cabinet, and attractive design. The radio had been offered up like this too. Once the TV had been accepted as a common fixture, it began to loose its whole association with furniture. The old 1980’s Zenith set my family had when I was growing up had a little bit of faux wood covering on front. But after that, most TVs became black boxes. Now they are not even boxes at all.
For most of us who grew up with tube TVs, we’ll have to realize that they will soon look very old to the next generation. Just like those wood cabinet TVs. That was a time when there was much care taken in the design of technological devices, so that they didn’t disrupt the sense of comfort people had in their homes. Perhaps we’ve lost some of that. Maybe an old wood TV cabinet would be nice in the living room. Maybe it would be all the nicer without the TV, and just the cabinet. Either way, the objects in your home should create a homey atmosphere. And after a while, an old TV might be just the thing for someone who wants a retro look in their home.
