How to Donate a Tube TV

Slowly but surely I'm clearing the game/craft project room - it's lived the past 4 years as a dumping ground. For a woman who is anti-clutter, it's a downright embarrassment.

I'm not going to post a photo of the room. Not happening.

Anyway, one thing that I determined must go was our old tube television. We replaced it with a nice flatscreen soon after we moved into the Hayley House in 2009. We kept the old television upstairs, unsure if we were going to do something special with that room that could use the television.

Six-and-a-half years later, we paid off the house and were still storing a tube television. Enough was enough.

So I started exploring how to get rid of it. 

I tried giving it away on Craiglist. The television stand garnered plenty of interest but the television didn't.

I thought about throwing it away, but it's against the law to put it out for trash collection as the tube is an environmental hazard.

My city allows for electronic recycling, but there was a $25 fee associated with the recycling. The fee isn't outrageous - I'm sure it's applied towards the cost of mitigating the hazard.

What I noticed, however, was that there was a free option: Deliver the television to one of the city's approved recycling partners. In Plano, that was Best Buy.

I didn't want to pay a fee - I was trying to rid myself of the thing and didn't feel predisposed to pay for the privilege - so I opted to take it to Best Buy.

I'd forgotten how heavy tube televisions are. Oh my gosh. It was a chore to get it downstairs. The thing was heavy, awkward to carry and our home has pre-installed furry cat trip hazards. 

Once I got it downstairs and into the car, the next hurdle was getting it out of the car and into a shopping cart at Best Buy. I recommend using the pallet carts instead. I used the "Find a nice strong man walking by in the parking lot to help you" method, which worked well for me but that's not always convenient.

From there, I just took the television inside and a helpful clerk took the television from me at the door. Easy-peasy, recycling complete!

My recommendation is that you carefully research your municipality's guidelines for disposing of a tube television. There's nearly always a free option if you want one.