Did the holidays bring a new computer or television set into your home? Before you toss out the old, you might think twice. Electronic junk contains hazardous substances, including lead & mercury. In landfills, these poisons can leach into groundwater.
Electronic refuse thrown in the trash is sometimes incinerated, sending dioxins from the burned plastic into the atmosphere and leaving behind toxic ash.
Did you know that an old-style computer or TV monitor contains at least four pounds of lead, and flat-panels have mercury bulbs? According to the advocacy group, Texas Campaign for the Environment, Texans alone will discard about 50 million TV's and personal computers by 2009, amounting to more than 200 million pounds of lead.
It is now against the law for business or institutional computer owners to discard their old machines in the trash. But consumers have no such restrictions, and that waste stream quickly becomes deep.
There are alternatives to dumping a computer when it becomes outdated. It's relatively easy to upgrade your aging device with new components, plus it's often cheaper to upgrade than to buy a whole new computer or laptop. Or, if there is still some life in it, you can donate it to a school or other group that might be able to use it.
If your computer is not upgradeable, it can be recycled. In the last legislative session, HB 2714 was passed, mandating that by September 1, 2008, computer makers must have a program in place to collect and recycle or reuse all computer equipment, including monitors, they sell in the state. This does not, however, include television sets.
Some people worry about recycling their computers, because data on them could be accessible. But simply pitching that computer in the trash is not the way to protection your information.
A few companies specializing in recycling electronic waste will guarantee that your personal information will be erased in a way that is unrecoverable. Some will even travel to your location to pick it up, if you have enough scrap to make it worth the trip.
Willing community groups or individuals can organize an electronic waste recycling drive in their areas.
To find a company in your area, contact the Environmental Protection Agency regional office at 1-800-887-6063 or visit the agency's e-cycling website at www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling.
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Comments: 32
I bought a cheap one to get me by but it's smaller than I'm used to and I'm making a lot more typos with it. I'll try the dishwasher.
It is interesting to note that nearly every single part of an old computer is recyclable. There really is no reason to be taking up landfill space with it, and in fact, many disposal companies won't even take them. I know in our area, there is a group called Litter Critters that picks these types of items up, sometimes with a nominal fee, depending on the item. Sometimes, they are non-profit and 'live' off the proceeds from the recycling.
Something that should be noted, as long as we're on the subject, refrigerators still contain refrigerant, which should not just be release to the atmosphere. The last time I checked, our local scrap yard would take refrigerators for nothing. They gather a few dozen, then have a company come in and recover the refrigerant for reuse. The scrap from the refrigerators more than covers the cost to them. With scrap prices so high, more and more services like this are bound to crop up so be on the look out for them.
Happy recycling!
When we upgrade something we have, I ask around before thinking of tossing.
Thanks.