As any gadget freak worth their circuits can tell you, there's
nothing as obsolete as whatever electronic gear you just bought
yesterday.
The consumer electronics and personal computer markets are
largely built on the concept of planned obsolescence. Today's must-have
is tomorrow's has-been. That works out well for manufacturers, but it
has some very serious environmental and health consequences. Outdated
gadgets containing arsenic, bromine, cadmium, hydro chlorofluorocarbons
(HCFCs), lead, mercury and other nasty chemicals often end up in
landfills, leaching their dangerous toxins into your soil and water
supply.
Obviously, the responsible thing to would be to recycle your
electronics. But according to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's Plug in to eCycling program,
only 15 to 20 percent of our PCs, TVs, cell phones and other electronic
devices are being recycled (those figures are from 2005, which is most
recent data available).
So how to stop contributing to the electronic landfill?
Donations
One possible route is to donate your used computer equipment.
However, many well-meaning users and even companies that donate old PCs
directly to schools and non-profits -- rather than through a recycler
-- can end up passing on more of a burden than a blessing.
Whether or not your PC is a good donation depends on its
condition. If it's only a year or two old and still works, make sure
you take it to a reputable recycler and you should be OK.
However, older gear is often donated with good intentions, but
ends up in developing world landfills because it's broken, unusable,
too obsolete or unneeded.
Recycle Through Your Manufacturer
Many PC makers offer recycling programs. Dell, for example, will take your old PC (regardless of brand) and recycle it for you, free of charge when you buy a new Dell. Other manufacturers offer similar programs.
After taking a considerable amount of flack from Greenpeace, Apple has set up a recycling program
as well which handles your old Macs, iPods and other Apple devices.
When you make a purchase through the online Apple Store, there's an
option to sign up for the Apple Recycling Program.
Third Party Recycling Options
The EPA has a list of recommended recyclers specializing in electronic gear.
Put It To Use
Kevin Purdy of Lifehacker has seven tips for giving an old laptop new life. The collective intelligence of Metafilter has even more advice.
http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Recycle_Your_E-Waste
