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Just over the past few days, two new recycling programs have been announced — one from Sharp and the other from Best Buy — though I expect more are to come so bring it on because Earth Day is coming up fast.
Sharp (Mahwah, N.J.) has announced a month-long free television recycling initiative, to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2007. Customers can recycle old TVs when purchasing a new Sharp LCD TV with a screen size of 37-inches or larger through its online retail site. Old televisions will be delivered to local Sharp-certified recyclers.
Sharp is one of the major electronic companies that is truly becoming an environmentally-friendly company. In Japan, Sharp's newest LCD plant, Kameyama No. 2, uses a 5150 KW solar photovoltaic system, with cogeneration systems and fuel cells, which supplies about one-third of the total electrical power used in the plant, said Sharp.
The entire TV manufacturing process occurs in a single plant " from fabricating the LCD panels to final assembly, which Sharp says eliminates the need to ship sub-assemblies between plants and enabling the company to reduce the amount of packaging materials required for shipping and emissions including CO2. The plant also uses a water purifying system in which 100 percent of the water expelled by the factory is recycled.
On the product side, all of Sharp's AQUOS LCD TVs tout a long lamp life of 60,000 hours and low-power consumption, using 60 percent less power than comparably-sized CRT (cathode-ray tube) direct-view televisions. In addition, many of the AQUOS models are Energy Star-certified. The design is also eco-friendly: stands use recycled plastic and plant-based paint; cabinets use non-halogen resin that gives off almost no dioxins or other toxic substances when incinerated; power cords and wiring are halogen-free; solder circuit boards are lead free; and instruction manuals are made completely from recycled paper and use soy ink.
The list could go on and on but we're talking about recycling here. Upshot: Sharp is targeting to become a zero global warming impact company by 2010.
No less important is Best Buy's consumer electronics recycling grant program to increase responsible recycling by consumers. The retailer hopes to do this by providing grants to support recycling events hosted by 501(C)3 nonprofit organizations and other organizations in cities and townships across the country. Grants will range from $500 to $1,500, depending on the size and scope of each organization's event and the recycling need in the area. Grant applications are available online at www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=725063232472, or via /www.bestbuy.com/recycling or www.e4partners.com. Priority will be given to those applications completed by Earth Day.
But this isn't the only recycling program at Best Buy. The retail store has hauled off more than 90,000 pounds of old cell phones, rechargeable batteries and ink-jet cartridges in 2006 (that reminds me that I need to recycle my growing collection of used ink-jet cartridges piling up in my office) at its free recycling drop-off kiosks at almost every Best Buy.
In addition, Best Buy recycled more than 13 million pounds of e-waste - televisions, monitors, and appliances through its customer haul away programs in 2006. The retailer has also partnered with ReCellular, a cell phone reuse/recycler, and will continue to host or sponsor weekend recycling events throughout the year in Florida, Minnesota. Washington State, California, Massachusetts and several other states.
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