A nationwide electronics recycling program, designed to offer consumers a convenient, responsible way to recycle tens of millions of unwanted television sets, computer monitors and other consumer electronics products, has been launched by LG Electronics USA and Waste Management.

Developed with Waste Management's subsidiary WM Recycle America LLC, the LG Electronics recycling program is being launched this month in 160 locations across the country, and is expected to include recycling sites in all 50 states by September.

"Our program encourages consumers to dispose of unwanted electronics in an environmentally responsible manner," said Teddy Hwang, president, LG Electronics USA. The multimillion-dollar U.S. recycling commitment by LG Electronics "reflects LG's global sustainability initiative that also encompasses energy conservation, reduction of hazardous substances and responsible product designs," he said.

The LG Electronics Recycling Program (http://www.LGusa.com/green) provides consumers with a convenient way of recycling their used, unwanted, obsolete or damaged consumer electronic products by dropping them off at a designated Waste Management eCycling Center.

Products recycled free-of-charge to consumers include LG, Zenith and Goldstar brands of televisions, monitors, audio equipment, video cassette players and recorders, DVD players and recorders, combination TV/VCR and TV/DVD units, set top boxes and accessories associated with those products. The LG-WM Recycle America program also allows consumers to recycle other manufacturers' consumer electronics products for a modest fee.

Waste Management already has scores of designated drop-off sites across the United States and plans to have at least one drop-off site in each state over the next six weeks. The number of sites will continue to be expanded over time. A goal of the LG-WM Recycle America program is to have a recycling center within 20 miles of 95 percent of the U.S. population. A list of drop-off locations for the LG Electronics Recycling program is available at http://www.wm.com/wm/takeback/locationlist.xls.

"People are seeking services to help them recycle electronic waste responsibly and economically," said Patrick DeRueda, president of WM Recycle America. "This program serves consumers' needs by offering a convenient and cost-effective waste management solution, while demonstrating our shared commitment to providing outstanding customer service and leadership in environmental stewardship." As the technology industry sees continued growth, the amount of electronic waste is also increasing, DeRueda explained. A study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showed that in 2005, used or unwanted electronics amounted to about 1.9 to 2.2 million tons. Of that, some 1.5 to 1.9 million tons was primarily discarded in landfills, and only 345,000 to 379,000 tons were recycled.

DeRueda said the LG Electronics Recycling Program, the latest in a series of manufacturer and retailer agreements with WM Recycle America, has sweeping benefits. "By recycling used, unwanted, obsolete or damaged electronic equipment, useful materials such as glass, metals and plastics may be recovered for reuse in other products," he said. "Reuse minimizes the amount of waste disposed, while also reducing the amount of raw materials extracted as well as energy required to make new materials. Additionally, material reuse reduces the production of greenhouse gases."

"That means LG and Waste Management are doing their part to improve recycling and reduce the environmental impact of waste products," added LG's Hwang. "The explosive growth of electronics products over the years, coupled with the rapid replacement of tens of millions of analog TVs as consumers upgrade to flat-panel HDTVs underscores the need for companies like LG to provide responsible end-of-life solutions."

The electronic materials collected for LG will be processed in an environmentally responsible manner at Waste Management facilities that are ISO 14001 and 9001 certified; that protects the local environment in those communities along with the people handling this waste.

Consumers may drop off up to five LG, Zenith or GoldStar-brand items at a time. To locate the nearest recycling center, consumers may call toll free, 1-877-439-2795. For no fee recycling, consumers also may mail products to WM Recycle America eCycling locations in Minneapolis, Denver, Oklahoma City and Springfield, Mass.

LG mobile phones and other handheld devices, as well as LG home appliances are covered by other take-back and recycling programs. Mobile phone recycling information is available at: http:us.lge.com/about/mobile_recycle_program.jsp. (Under LG's mobile phone recycling program, any brand of cell phone, GPS unit or PDA device may be dropped off at WM Recycle America locations. Waste Management will ship those items to LG Electronics' recycler for recycling.) Appliance recycling information is available at http://www.aham.org.