For my husband's 40th birthday, our extended family all pitched in and got him the big flat-screen television that he's been craving. This, however, has left me with something of a dilemma—what to do with the old one. It's too ancient for us to sell, but it still works so it just seems wrong to put it out with the trash. Even if I put it out at the curb, it's not like they'll take it away with the recycling. I know I'm not the only one asking this question. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans discarded nearly 27 million televisions in 2007 and only about 6 million of those were recycled. It's a similar situation with old mobile phones, computers and other electronics.

My first step in getting rid of this TV is to call around to local charities to see if they'll accept the donation. If that fails, there is another alternative. We can recycle it through the EPA's Plug-In to eCycling program. The EPA has partnered with 25 different manufacturers, retailers and service providers—including Best Buy, Dell, Sony and AT&T—to collect out-of-date gadgets. Best Buy even has a program that will give you a gift card for each product that you turn in at one of their stores or on their website.

Check the Plug-In to eCycling website for more information about how and where you can donate or recycle your old electronics or get a state-by-state listing of recycling locations near you.

photo: m. kemp/getty images