With an ever-increasing range of 4K and OLED TVs entering the market, it’s no surprise that the number of older screens that are surplus to the market is increasing. However, it’s vital that you dispose of a television properly. It’s actually illegal to dispose of a television through landfill, due to the nature of the materials that go into making them.

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Don’t be tempted to leave a screen outside your house and hope that the local scrap man takes it either: while companies have a responsibility to ensure that there are opportunities for electronic waste to be recycled, it’s up to all of us to protect our planet by disposing of things correctly.

Silver screens

Modern televisions contain a range of valuable materials that are ripe for recycling. TV aerials in Swansea might appear to be simple lumps of metal, but they are in fact finely tuned devices made from a precise mix of different elements. The TVs they connect to are much the same, containing everything from plastic and metal to trace elements of gold and silver. However, they also contain dangerous elements such as lead, mercury and cadmium, as well as toxic flame retardant material.

Where there’s a will there’s a WEEE

Disposal of all electronic waste, especially potentially hazardous materials like TVs, is covered by WEEE, aka The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive, which came into force in 2002. If you’ve ordered new Swansea aerials through One Vision or a similar company be sure to ask about their recycling procedures.

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All companies that sell electronic items are required by law to provide a WEEE-compliant service that allows customers to recycle unwanted devices such as televisions. If you’re buying a television be sure to ask about options for getting rid of your old one. At the very least you should be able to bring a device into the store, but for online orders many companies will offer to collect your old device when they deliver your new screen.

Some companies will go even further. If your old TVs still work, they could be donated to charities in the UK or further afield. Many schools in developing countries rely on equipment donated in the UK, which means that your old TV could be keeping someone entertained for years to come.