[P2assist] CRTs/LCDs

[Joel Ostroff]

Hey Scott,

I will admit to not knowing a whole lot about LCDs and fluorescent tube 
content mbut I do have to wonder why they cannot use the green dot 
fluorescent tubes similar to lighting fluorescent tubes being acvocated 
today.  From my understanding that should resolve the mercury contamination 
potentiation from the LCD factor.  Am I wrong in my thinking?


Thanks,

Joel

-----Original Message-----
From:	Scott Mouw [SMTP:Scott.Mouw@ncmail.net]
Sent:	Tuesday, November 12, 2002 12:21 PM
To:	'p2assist@lists.p2pays.org'
Subject:	[P2assist] CRTs/LCDs

Re: CRTs vs LCDs

Sandi Childs referenced a need for an "objective analysis of the LCD vs. 
CRT
impacts" - I'm not sure anybody at any level can provide such an analysis 
at
this point. We've asked EPA Region 4 to work with the Florida Center for
Solid and Hazardous Waste Mgt. to get ahead of this issue, and I think they
will move in that direction (e.g., to test leachability of mercury from
disposed LCDs).  But for the time being, here are a few thoughts:

- LCDs are more energy efficient than CRTs, which will reduce mercury from
coal stacks, the leading source of mercury emissions.  Just like switching
from incandescent lights to mercury-containing compact fluorescents (which
everyone needs to do!) prevents overall mercury pollution...
- LCDs may be more recyclable in the long run because they may plug in very
nicely to the already well-developed fluorescent light recycling
infrastructure.
- the repairability of LCDs noted in the article from Waste News is very
encouraging and moves us up the hierarchy.
- because of the labor to remove the mercury carefully from LCDs, their
cost-to-recycle may be higher than CRTs.  To keep down costs, we will need
Gateway and all others involved in this technology to be thinking about
dismantling as they design the product.  And procurement officials will 
need
to be sensitive to buying the easier-to-recycle units.
- the move to LCDs will mean a long-term decline in one of the key end use
market for CRTs: recycling CRT glass back in to CRT glass. CRT glass will
rely more heavily on lead smelting markets as we buy less CRTs with 
recycled
glass content.

These comments are not an "objective analysis," but hopefully they are
useful observations.

Scott Mouw
NC Div. of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance
1639 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC  27699-1639
919.715.6512
919.715.6794  (fax)
www.p2pays.org

Check out DPPEA's new marketplace for waste materials: 
www.ncwastetrader.org

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