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ECO ACTIVISM: Toxic TV Zombies at the CES 2009

This year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas showcases a range of consumer products that highlights technological innovation, but provides less insight into eco-friendly consumerism of these high-tech gadgets. Electronics Take Back Coalition wondered, in particular, why the conference failed to address responsible electronic waste disposal and recycling. In an effort to enlighten visitors, the coalition’s members put on cut-out, black cardboard boxes and staged a protest as “undead,” toxic TV zombies. “Undead,” according to the Electronics Take Back Coalition, “because their toxic components continue to “live on” in the ground soil and water supply, causing public health and environmental hazards.”

The protest in Las Vegas seems to have served two purposes: the first being to urge CES visitors and exhibitors to consider the importance of responsible waste programs to minimize the environmental impact created by electronics industry, and the second to address the nation’s switch to digital television next month.

With the switch to digital television rapidly approaching on February 17, 2009, the coalition is campaigning for a national recycling program to keep the millions of analog televisions from simply being dumped into the nation’s landfills where they will leech toxic chemicals into the ground.