Television and DVD Equipment

Every year, the 275 million televisions in the United States consume over 50 billion kilowatt-hours of energy and are responsible for as much as 10 percent of total household electricity usage. Televisions are a considerable source not only of energy consumption but also of toxic substances contributed to landfills. The 2009 switch to digital broadcasting in the United States led to many older analog televisions being thrown out—no longer usable without a converter or cable connection. Many of those old cathode-ray tube (CRT) television sets contained lead, among other toxins conventionally found in consumer electronics. However, for all their bulkiness, the truth is that CRT televisions were, on the whole, more energy efficient than the flat screens that have replaced them.

Flat screens come in three ...