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I guess the conversation has shifted a bit away from CRT sets at goodwill. But my local goodwill does take them, but they can't sell them. So I asked why.
I was told that selling a CRT is a "liability". Basically they told me that they are afraid of potential fires, property damage, etc. Kinda odd. They told me they can't let me take any sets that would otherwise be recycled because of safety concerns. In my area they take all the CRT tvs from the two local goodwill stores (like 1 mile apart) and they put them on a truck and ship them all to a goodwill center of some sorts in Knoxville. From there all electronics are sorted. The good goes to Nashville, then to Goodwill.com for internet auctions. The bad or should I say "bad" goes to a recycling center in Knoxville.
Now taking E-waste is supposed to be illegal here as well, but at the local recycling center I do take stuff. I did it for a long time without knowing it was wrong (I mean, it's trash right?). The local center is odd though so I really do not know if there is a reason I have yet to get in trouble. A few months ago an employee sold someone a busted flatscreen for $5, and I helped them strap it to a sedan. He said it was going to get ground up anyways so why not sell it? More recently I pulled up and a little old man (WW2 vetern according to his hat) wanted a shop vac in the electronics section and was trying to lift a projection screen tv off of the hose. I helped him, got his vacuum out, and the employees saw. So is it illegal? Sure. But the ONLY places anyone cares are places where the employees get to pick through too. This is the experience I have had around Knoxville and Chattanooga. They pick through and get anything good which is why some places do have employees who hover and watch.
So IF you see something at the local e-waste just ask about it. If it is an old tube tv they'll think you're crazy, but usually you can get permission. If you don't want to ask just haul off electronics and in the shuffle trade your junk for other junk. Typically no one cares if you swap out junk. That is my experience dealing with differnet places and people though. All places and people are different so it really is hit and miss.
Good luck to all the scavengers!
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