Ways to repurpose and recycle responsibly
Television sets
* Threat to the environment: Cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs can contain up to 8 pounds of lead. Older CRTs may also contain arsenic. LCDs are better, but also contain hazardous levels of lead and copper.
* How to repurpose: Use in different rooms of the house; donate to a charity.
* How to recycle: Bring to an official recycling facility such as the Bergen County Utilities Authority in Little Ferry.
Cellphones
* Threat to the environment: Coatings are often made of lead, and batteries might contain carcinogenic cadmium (in nickel-cadmium varieties) and explosive lithium.
* How to repurpose: Pass on to other members of the family or donate to charity. Phones capable of playing music can be used as digital music players.
* How to recycle: All major carriers have recycling programs. Staples also takes phones and phone accessories for free through the CollectiveGood program.
Computers
* Threat to the environment: Circuit boards contain lead, cadmium and mercury. Monitors may have toxins similar to TV sets.
* How to repurpose: Simplify the applications for a single use, such as a music jukebox, a photo slideshow viewer or media storage. You can donate to a school or non-profit or tailor applications and settings for a family member.
* How to recycle: Accepted at the Bergen County Utilities Authority and commercial pick-up sites such as Staples and Office Depot.
MP3 players
* Threat to the environment: Many models still contain brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), with lead soldering.
* How to repurpose: Larger-capacity players can be used as storage devices.
* How to recycle: Accepted at the Bergen County Utilities Authority and commercial pick-up sites such as Staples and Office Depot.
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