Before you trash your old TV set for any reason, consider that many municipalities have banned TVs from landfills.

And for good reason, since your old set contains up to eight pounds of lead, a poison that can cause nervous system damage. Lead is there to protect you from radiation while it's still in your TV, but when the TV is crushed in the garbage truck and then in the landfill, bad news: that lead is going to leach out.

Responsible recycling of your TV will help mediate the risks of disposing of this common household electronic device. In fact, in just one year, more than 112 million pounds of valuable materials were recovered from disposed electronics, such as steel, glass, plastic and precious metals.

The majority of the electronics are disassembled for recycling. Some electronics go out-of-state for processing and some materials are exported for recycling at approved facilities. However, obsolete electronics are not exported to third-world countries. Metals, plastics and glass are separated and sold as commodities to be reused as raw materials in the manufacturing of new products. On average only 2% of the total volume goes to a landfill - mostly particle board from cabinet TVs. Toxic materials such as batteries, leaded glass, circuit boards and fluorescent tubes must be managed properly by approved recyclers. Ecology also requires recyclers to meet standards designed to protect worker safety and health as well as the environment.