April 18, 2008 - Sony is repurposing old television sets as feedstock for its latest flat-screen TVs, PC World reports.

The company is collecting outdated Sony TVs from recycling plants and using the plastic shells to create backing panels for its new Bravia LCDs.

Sony has been laying the groundwork for the move to recycled-content plastic for years, according to Masayoshi Ishida of Sony's TV business group. "We started preparing for this project ten years ago by ensuring that all the plastic used in old Sony television sets was recyclable," he told the attendees at the Display 2008 Expo in Tokyo.

The company is gathering additional material for the backing panels from styrofoam waste from its production facilities.

The introduction of the new Bravia officially kicks off Sony's efforts to promote environmentally preferable products to consumers. Its new "Product, Process, Planet" communications push touts the company's efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its products, from manufacturing to consumer use. As part of the program, Sony has committed to disclosing environmental performance information for specific products. (Find environmental information on the recycled-content Bravia here.)

In March, Sony encouraged customers to recycle their old electronics by airing reruns of TV commercials for outdated Sony products.