by Matthew Brady

Like 37 million other Americans, maybe you bought a flat-panel TV last year. And now you don't know what to do with your old picture-tube TV.

If you live in Marion County, it's not easy to recycle them, but it's important for the environment. Each picture tube contains up to 4 pounds of lead that can be released if the glass screen shatters in a trash bin or landfill.

The Environmental Protection Agency says only about 18 percent of the 27 million TVs discarded in 2007 were recycled. The agency estimates another 99 million TVs are in storage.

Mary Mazelin of Indianapolis says she tries to do her part. She recycles her newspapers and aluminum cans, and she went the extra mile to make sure her picture-tube TV got recycled last year. "It's just a little bit, but I think it all adds up," she says.

The city/county ToxDrop program only accepts TVs 27 inches or smaller during special "ToxAway Day" events held a few times each year for Marion and Boone County residents. And you might even be turned away.

"We reached our capacity way before folks stopped coming," Steve Hardiman, spokesman for the city of Indianapolis, says of last year's events. "Knowing that the need is there ... we've got to identify more funds to expand the program."

The city collected 2,377 TVs in 2009, a 140 percent increase from the 992 TVs collected in 2008.

Recycling old TVs is a bit easier in neighboring Hamilton County. Any size TV may be dropped off at no charge during business hours at the Household Hazardous Waste Center in Noblesville. Proof of Hamilton County residency is required.

The facility had a 109 percent increase in TV recycling in 2009 as compared to the previous year, says program manager Jeff Rushforth.

Places such as highly rated Green Wave Recycling near Sunnyside Road and Pendleton Pike in Lawrence Township will recycle your TV for a fee. Workforce Inc. at North Sherman Drive and East Michigan Street in Indianapolis also accepts TVs during regular business hours. Fees at both places start at $5.

Nearly every manufacturer will take their own brands for free. Visit epa.gov/waste/partnerships/plugin for a list of requirements and further information.

A new law enacted this year requires Indiana electronics manufacturers to recycle 60 percent of the items they sell each year, says Carey Hamilton of the Indiana Recycling Coalition. Companies must use state-registered recyclers that have proven they will handle the electronic waste in an environmentally responsible way.

Curbside recycling of electronic waste - or just letting people dump their TV in a recycling bin - may never happen due to safety concerns.

"If the electronics break or are crushed, there is potential that some of the harmful materials contained in the electronics could contaminate other materials, not to mention the harm it could cause the people handling the material and the environment," says Kären Haley, director of Indianapolis' Office of Sustainability.

"This is the primary reason why we have trained individuals handle the electronics received at the city-sponsored electronic recycling events."