It’s T minus 364 days until broadcasters flip the switch from analog to digital, and millions of old TV sets will also make a transition, from living room fixtures to landfill waste. Even though state e-waste recycling laws across the U.S. forbid this type of dumping, almost 90 percent of home electronics still end up in landfills.

In light of this upcoming deadline, what are companies doing to limit the environmental damage from lead and other toxic materials that TVs contain?

Best Buy is one of the few major retailers that offers recycling services. In each of its over 850 stores, you can drop off cell phones, rechargeable batteries and ink-jet cartridges for free. But for TVs, you have to pay a fee to have it hauled away, when you have a new one delivered. Best Buy also schedules periodic weekend-long recycling events where consumers can drop off items to be recycled.

Some of the other top retailers of electronics -- Wal-Mart, Circuit City, Target and Radio Shack – should take notice of what Best Buy is trying to do, and follow suit.  And maybe they could use a good nudge to get them going. A campaign by the Electronics TakeBack Coalition encourages consumers to email the heads of the world's largest TV makers to request free recycling programs, and there is also information on the site to help you find responsible recyclers near your home.

Sony is one of the few manufacturers that has started a recycling program, which allows you to bring unwanted Sony products to participating Waste Management eCycling drop-off centers and recycle them for free. On a more commercial tack, Sony is offering $100 of a new Bravia HDTV when you recycle an old TV by March 15, 2008.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 12.5 percent of electronics waste in the U.S. is offered for recycling each year. But of course, even when electronics devices are recycled, there is no guarantee that they will be disposed of properly.

As February 17, 2009 approaches, we hope to see more programs in place to help people dispose of TVs responsibly. And don’t forget, you can always buy a low-cost converter for your analog TV, and use that to pick up these fancy new digital broadcasts.