20 Oct Mission in HD: Goodwill Turning Channel On Analog TV Donations

Many of us can still recall the days when it was necessary to carefully turn a dial on your television or adjust the antenna to tune in some stations and get a clear picture.

For decades, the donation of these analog TVs to Goodwill filled our stores with useful merchandise and funded our mission of changing people’s lives through the power of work. The declining demand for these analog TVs, the increasing volume of donated analog televisions to Goodwill and the sky-rocketing costs to recycle them have forced us to adjust our policy on the acceptance and sale of older televisions.

Starting Nov. 30, 2014, Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee will no longer accept donations of older televisions – picture tube, wooden console or projection televisions at our stores or donation express centers in middle and west Tennessee.

We will continue to accept working flat-screen televisions (such as LCD, LED and plasma models). Also, as the supply of these older televisions diminishes, we will no longer sell them in our 34 stores.

Their sale — and sales of other donated goods — provides employment and training opportunities for people with disabilities and others who have trouble finding and keeping jobs.  So far this year, Goodwill has placed more than 6,800 people in jobs across middle and west Tennessee. For those seeking to recycle older model TVs after Nov. 30, we suggest contacting your local municipal or county solid waste department for more information or visiting our website, giveit2goodwill.org for a referral list. We appreciate your understanding of this policy and your continued support of Goodwill Industries and its mission.

For a list of recycling centers that may take your old picture tubes: Go Here