I can see why the charge money to recover the lead from the glass, it would be expensive to recover the lead from glass, I would be willing to bet you would spend much more money on that lead trying to recover it yourself, they have the capital already invested in the equipment they understand the process, and can process it cheaper than you would be able to, spending the few dollars per CRT seems fairly cheap to me, at the prices of fuel nowadays.
phosphor coating CRT can contain toxic metals such as cadmium barium or other metals (Zn.Al,Y.Mg):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphor
http://firecontrolman.tpub.com/14098/css/14098_56.htm
From wiki:
Toxicity
Older color and monochrome CRTs may contain toxic substances, such as cadmium, in the phosphors.[49][50][51] The rear glass tube of modern CRTs may be made from leaded glass, which represent an environmental hazard if disposed of improperly.[52] By the time personal computers were produced, glass in the front panel (the viewable portion of the CRT) used barium rather than lead, though the rear of the CRT was still produced from leaded glass. Monochrome CRTs typically do not contain enough leaded glass to fail EPA TCLP tests. While the TCLP process grinds the glass into fine particles in order to expose them to weak acids to test for leachate, intact CRT glass does not leache (The lead is vitrified, contained inside the glass itself, similar to leaded glass crystalware).
In October 2001, the United States Environmental Protection Agency created rules stating that CRTs must be brought to special recycling facilities. In November 2002, the EPA began fining companies that disposed of CRTs through landfills or incineration. Regulatory agencies, local and statewide, monitor the disposal of CRTs and other computer equipment.[53]
In Europe, disposal of CRT televisions and monitors is covered by the WEEE Directive.[54]