Disposal of Computers

Computing is often thought of as a “clean” industry, but the disposal of computers has become a significant environmental and economic problem. Obsolescence remains the primary reason for computer disposal. Rapid increases in processor speed and continual changes in computer architecture have resulted in an ever-increasing rate of computer obsolescence. The Environmental Protection Agency projects that by 2005, for every new computer manufactured, another one will become outdated.

In the United States alone, more than twenty-four million computers became obsolete in 1999. Of those, only four million were properly recycled or donated; the remaining twenty million were dumped into landfills, incinerated, shipped as waste exports (and probably dumped or incinerated upon arriving at their destination), or stored. Because users are often unaware of options for disposal, computers are usually placed in storage once they are deemed obsolete. While a computer's condition is generally known before it is put in storage, those that have been stored for some time have to be tested before they can be put to any sort of use. A company would pay a technician to do such testing; this expense adds to the financial liability of computer recycling.

When thrown into landfills or incinerated, computers and computer monitors can release hazardous materials and heavy metals into the environment, such as lead, mercury, and hexavalent chromium. Each of these substances poses unique dangers to human beings. The assorted plastics in computers contain brominated flame retardants, which can act as endocrine disruptors. Lead, which is used to protect computer users from radiation, can have negative effects on the nervous system, the endocrine system, the liver, the blood, and the kidneys. Mercury can cause brain damage, and hexavalent chromium can cause DNA damage in human cells.

In landfills, these substances will eventually leak into the drinking water supply and enter the human food chain. Incineration releases toxic chemicals into the air, where they can be breathed in; it also creates ash and slag containing toxic substances, which require specialized disposal. Additionally, some pollutants released through computer disposal, such as lead, do not disappear over time. As a result, many places have declared computers, or at least computer monitors, to be hazardous waste. This means that they require special means of disposal, and cannot be dumped into landfills or processed with other garbage.

Most states have some way to deal with obsolete electronics. The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA)— [Page 152]a group that promotes electronics manufacturing—has links to information about disposal on its Web site (<http://www.eiae.org>). Several industry and environmental groups are working together to test various models of computer recycling, such as municipal collection, funding retailers to collect old machines, and providing consumer drop-off sites. The U.S. Department of Education and several non-governmental organizations have also been working to get used but functional computers into public schools.

The disposal of computers has become an issue worldwide. In Canada, Toronto and other cities have established public disposal depots for recycling computers. Elsewhere, governments are exploring the idea of Extended Product Responsibility (EPR). Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and Denmark have all enacted EPR-related laws, and other European countries are following suit. In EPR, producers are held responsible for the physical management of their products, for the costs of the waste created by their products, and for informing consumers about the possible environmental effects of a product at different times in its life cycle. They are also liable for environmental damage caused by their products. Some companies are beginning to implement EPR measures on their own, but it is not yet a pervasive practice in computer manufacturing.

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