With the constant evolving of technology, the need for bringing in new and improved devices is what makes our lives easier. But whenever we upgrade on a certain device, we are left wondering what to do with the old one. In the case of LCD devices, the technology is improving so much that old phones, TV’s, and computer screens that use LCD are heavily outdated. Constant upgrades to the technology implement those same upgrades into real, physical, devices. This is precisely the reason as to why consumers upgrade on any kind of device, regardless of the technology.
What happens when we throw away our old devices?
Let’s be clear, everyone has eighter thrown an old LCD hardware, or has left it forgotten somewhere in a corner. These devices and hardware have a lifespan of between 10 and 20 years, depending on the quality. So what do we do with them? Do we simply throw them away or leave them to gather dust in the attic? The proper action would be to recycle them. LCDs have their own regulations regarding recycling, and they must be adhered to. For LCD devices that have been manufactured before 2009, there is a special procedure. Since these devices use cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) to backlight the display, they contain mercury which is dangerous to humans. Furthermore, mercury is dangerous to the environment, so we cannot simply throw them away.
Other LCD devices can contain heavy metals and brominated flame retardants. These materials have been found to leak into groundwater, streams, etc, and contaminate our water system. They can be described as super toxicants while incinerated, and they pose a lot of harm by throwing them away.
According to lcdrecyclingonline.com, every device has harmful materials in them that can severely damage our environment or us if thrown away. The throwaway rate of LCD devices is so huge, that LCD screens are left sitting in landfills. But it’s not just LCD screens; it’s all electronic devices that use LCD technology.
There is a proper way to dispose of LCD devices, as opposed to throwing them away and leaving them to take up space in landfills. Many states in the United States have laws prohibiting the disposal of electronic devices in landfills. Since these laws prohibit people from throwing LCD devices they are usually incinerated in large quantities, which is even more harmful. And an even commoner practice is to ship out large quantities to other countries that don’t have the same prohibitions such as the United States regarding the disposal of LCD devices – an ever worst solution.
What to do with old LCD tech?
As we mentioned before, we all have devices sitting around the attic, gather unnecessary dust. These devices could be all working perfectly, the only difference is that they are old and not new. They don’t have internet capabilities, but they still show picture. They are smaller, but they work perfectly fine. So what do we do with these? The first thing to do is to donate them, or even sell, to companies that recycle LCD devices. Another cool, and quite charitable, act is to donate them to families who need them. There are more good things to do than to simply pollute the environment and harm ourselves.
