PC monitors: How to buy the best LCD computer monitor Reuse or recycle your old monitor

It’s all very well Which? advising you to buy a new monitor, but what are you going to do with the old one? You can't just take it to your local dump as LCD and CRT monitors contain materials that are potentially dangerous unless treated, such as lead, barium and mercury.

Firstly, try and get someone to reuse your old monitor. Try to sell it on eBay, offer it on a local Freecycle group or place a free ad online or in a local newspaper.

If you can’t find anyone who wants to reuse your old monitor, or if it’s broken and unrepairable, recycle your old monitor at a recycling point (visit www.recycle-more.co.uk to find your nearest recycle bank), contact your local council to find out about recycling schemes or get in touch with a recycling charity such as Computer Aid International.

As part of the EU Weee directive, retailers and manufacturers must provide consumers with information about how to recycle old electronic equipment free of charge.

PC retailers must provide free take-back facilities for customers to return old equipment for recycling, whenever a replacement item is purchased. Some, such as the chain PC World, will accept old electronics in-store for recycling and reuse if you're buying a similar product.