Source: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com, April 25, 2016

The global slump in commodities, marked by low prices of raw materials like lead and copper, is leading to old electronics being dumped and e-recycling companies improperly disposing of them, NBC News reported.

A Kentucky company was caught last year burying old TVs and other electronics devices in a 10-foot-deep hole in a field. These products contain toxic substances such as lead, mercury, beryllium and cadmium

“We want to promote recycling the best we can,” James Young, executive director of the Kanawha County Solid Waste Authority in West Virginia, told NBC News. “But when it becomes such a burden, we can’t expect municipalities to foot the bill.”

Meanwhile, companies that used to recycle televisions for free, including Best Buy, are now charging customers to haul them away.