[Editorial announcement] The market for CRT glass is shrinking and it's only getting smaller as more and more old TVs and monitors are being recycled instead of being land-filled," said Steve Skurnac, president of US-based Sims Recycling Solutions. "I think we're already at the saturation point in the market," he said. "There's a lot of glass in California that is having a hard time finding a home. Easily within the next year, a similar issue is going to crop up in other jurisdictions." A similar tale is being seen across the globe. The CA Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) recently announced emergency regulations to allow for the disposal or residual CRT glass into hazardous waste landfills if recyclers cannot find a suitable reuse for the glass. "We don't think hazardous waste disposal is going to be all that attractive an option." Previously, the glass could only be recycled by glass recyclers which often burned them into new CRTs, or they could be sent to lead smelters. The new regulations allow for new avenues, including new technologies, for the glass. And if all else fails, disposal into a hazardous waste landfill is permitted, but only the residual glass would be allowed for disposal, DTSC said. CRTs contain lead and some other hazardous materials, making them difficult to recycle.
