v>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
May 2006
EPA530-F-06-012
www.epa.gov/osw
Of
       By streamlining the management of cathode ray tubes (CRTs), the Environmental
    Protection Agency is making it easier to  collect and recycle CRTs. Safely recycling
    CRTs saves  energy and conserves resources, allows  the recovered lead to be reused
    in other ways, and reduces the amount of lead in landfills.

    Background
       CRTs are the video display components of televisions and computer monitors. The
    glass in CRTs typically contains enough lead to require managing it as hazardous waste
    under certain circumstances. Under the previous regulations, businesses and other organi-
    zations that recycle or dispose of CRTs were sometimes unclear about the proper way to
    recycle or dispose of this equipment. That uncertainty sometimes prevented CRTs from
    being recycled and reused. EPA is changing CRT waste management requirements to
    promote additional safe recycling and reuse of CRTs. About 57 million computers and
    televisions are sold in the United States annually.

    Action
       EPA is providing conditional exclusions from the federal hazardous waste management
    standards for CRTs and CRT glass destined for recycling. These safe, yet simplified
    standards aim to increase the collection and recycling of CRTs, and to reduce the amount
    of lead in landfills by allowing the lead to be reused to make new CRT glass or sent to lead
    smelters.
       Under these regulations, used, unbroken CRTs are not regulated as hazardous waste
    unless they are stored for more than a year. EPA is setting simpler, more manageable
    standards for unbroken CRTs because the risk of lead releases from them is very low.
    Since the risk is so low, the storage limitation on unbroken CRTs applies only to collectors
    orrecyclers.
       Used, broken CRTs are not regulated as hazardous waste as long as the following
    conditions
    are met:
       *  CRT containers are clearly labeled regarding contents;
       *  CRTs are safely transported in containers designed to minimize releases;
       *  CRTs are stored in a building or container designed to minimize releases; and
       *  CRTs are stored on site less than one year before recycling them.
       To remain unregulated, CRTs undergoing glass processing must follow the same
    requirements, except they must be processed inside a building, at temperatures not high
    enough to volatilize lead from the glass. CRT glass that has been processed and sent to a

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CRT glass manufacturer or a lead smelter also is unregulated unless it is stored for more
than one year (see above) or used in a manner constituting disposal (applied to the land).
CRT glass going to any other kind of recycler may be eligible for exemption under existing
regulations.
   Exporters shipping broken or unbroken CRTs to another country for recycling must
notify EPA and receive written consent from the receiving country through EPA before
shipments can be made. This requirement is similar to those applicable to exporters of
hazardous waste, which are found at 40 CFRPart 262. Exporters shipping used, unbroken
CRTs for reuse as computers to another country must submit a one-time notification to
EPA.

For More  information
   More information about the Hazardous Waste CRT Rule:
   http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/electron/crt.htm.
   To find out more detailed information or to ask a question, please go to
   www.epa.gov/osw, and click on Find an Answer or Ask a Question.

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