EPA revises recycling standards for cathode ray tubes

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it is streamlining the federal hazardous waste management requirements for recyclable cathode ray tubes (CRT) and CRT glass, most commonly found in TVs and computer monitors. According to the new provisions, used but unbroken CRTs are not regulated as hazardous waste unless CRT recyclers and collectors store them for more than one year. The EPA says the low risk of lead releases from unbroken CRTs justifies these simplified standards. The move is intended to clarify the proper method of CRT disposal for businesses and organizations that are often confused about what to do with their outdated equipment.

"A discarded CRT represents an opportunity lost," said EPA Assistant Administrator Susan Bodine in a press release. "This rule will help encourage the reuse and recycling of CRTs, which puts these resources back to productive use, rather than into the nation's landfills."