On June 12, the nation will switch to digital broadcasting. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, the Department of Public Works (DPW), the DC Department of the Environment (DDOE) and the Office of Cable Television (OCT) remind District residents who discard their old television sets that they can recycle them at the Ft. Totten Transfer Station, 4900 Bates Road, NE, or the Benning Road Transfer Station, 3200 Benning Road, NE, on Saturdays from 8 am to 3 pm.
“With the federally-mandated switch from analog technology to digital broadcasting, many residents will use this as an opportunity to upgrade to a newer model,” Mayor Fenty said. “We want to remind them that the District will recycle their unwanted TVs if they bring them to either transfer station.”
“When residents recycle their televisions we can recover valuable materials, including metal wiring, glass, and plastics,” said DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr. “This also gives other companies an opportunity to use these materials to make new products, which can help boost the economy.”
DPW provides free, Saturday drop off service to make it easier for residents to recycle their unwanted electronics. In addition to televisions, residents may bring audio-video equipment, cell phones, home office equipment, computers, computer parts and computer components for end-of-life disposal or recycling. Television screens must be intact—not cracked, punctured or shattered. Household hazardous waste such as chemicals, pesticides and batteries also can be dropped off on Saturdays.
“Electronics recycling helps protect our planet,” said DDOE Director George S. Hawkins. “Cathode-ray television sets contain an average of four pounds of lead each. Dumping an old TV in a landfill, or worse, a vacant lot, means the lead can end up in our groundwater or air. Doing the right thing instead is absolutely free and it makes a big difference.”
All full-power broadcast television stations in the United States are scheduled to stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and begin broadcasting only in digital on Friday June 12, 2009. Once the DTV transition goes into effect, residents who watch free, over-the-air television through a rooftop antenna or “rabbit ears” will need to obtain a digital-to-analog converter box, sign up for cable or satellite service, or buy a digital television.
“The DTV transition will enable consumers to enjoy improved picture and sound quality, plus more channels and programming,” said OCT Director Eric E. Richardson. Residents can learn more about the DTV transition by visiting the Federal Communication Commission’s Web site at www.dtv.gov or calling 1-888-225-5322 or 1-888-835-5322 (TTY).
For a complete list of acceptable recyclables, visit www.dpw.dc.gov or call 311.