BTW

Disposing of those toxic tubes

by Adam Aston

As more Americans upgrade to flat-panel TVs, they're dumping old sets—models containing up to eight pounds of lead, mostly in the picture tube. That worries environmentalists, who say lead from trashed TV sets can leak into groundwater.

TV disposals may hit a peak this year, says Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, as we approach Feb. 17, 2009, when broadcasts go digital. The switch doesn't require a new set—converter boxes are available. But Americans are expected to buy some 32 million new TVs. Kyle hopes Sharp, Panasonic, and other top brands will follow Sony's lead and set up a way to recycle their old models.