Now you can recycle it for free. But only if it's a Sony, and only if you live in certain parts of the country. Sony Electronics has partnered with Waste Management to roll out 75 e-waste recycling centers in 17 states.
While starting out slowly, Sony expects to double the number of drop-off centers within a year. Eventually, the company aims to have centers in all 50 states and within 20 miles of 95 percent of the U.S. population. To find the current sites, go to www.wm.com/WM/sony/locations.asp.
The centers offer free recycling for Sony brand gadgets - including TVs, Walkmans and PlayStation video-game consoles. The centers also will take unwanted electronics from other manufacturers for a fee, according to the companies.
Free recycling of electronic gear - one of the fastest growing waste streams
worldwide - is not new.
Dell will accept discarded computers and monitors at no charge, whether they're made by Dell or not. Customers must mail the gear back to Dell, however.
Sony is sponsoring what it believes is a more convenient solution than Dell's with the drop-off centers. Sony says this is the first time an electronics manufacturer has joined with a major waste management company for disposal of electronics on a nationwide scale. The drop-off centers began as a pilot program in Minnesota.
While the drop-off centers will take any Sony gadget, the company thinks TVs are going to be a big part of collections.
Sony has been the U.S. market share leader in televisions for years. As consumers switch from picture-tube sets to flat screens - a transition that's likely to accelerate as more high-definition programs become available - Sony expects waves of unwanted televisions will be disposed of over the next few years.
Pent-up demand might already exist to get rid of old picture-tube sets. Many consumers who buy a new TV simply move the old one to a back room or give it to charity - in part because the sets have been difficult to get rid of, according to Sony. Some estimates say that 75 percent of old TVs are in storage at businesses, schools, and households.
"We anticipate a greater and greater need for recycling," said Rick Clancy of Sony Electronics. "By working with Waste Management, we can build the national infrastructure over time."
Electronic waste, which often contains lead and other metals, has been on the rise in recent years. In 2005, used or unwanted electronics amounted to as much as 2.2 million tons, most of which found its way to landfills, according to a study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Only about 380,000 tons were recycled.
Clancy declined to say how much Sony is spending on its recycling program. "In the short term, this is an investment on our part," he said. "It's a significant amount of money."
The company's move is a break from many rivals in the electronics business in California when it comes to responsibility for recycling old products, said Mark Murray, executive director of Californians Against Waste, a nonprofit environmental research and advocacy group in Sacramento.
While the industry generally acknowledges that it has some role to play in recycling, it has argued that it should not have to pay for collecting e-waste, said Murray.
"Sony has stepped in and covered the cost of recycling and also given folks an avenue for collections," Murray said. "That is a good thing."
Sony and Waste Management hope other manufacturers will join them in offering free recycling of their branded products at the drop-off sites.
"Sony is going to cover the cost for all their products, and they're working with us to establish a national network," said Wes Muir, a spokesman for Waste Management. "But we don't have an exclusive arrangement with Sony."
