Discarded Computers Mounting Up to Environmental Threat
They live in the closet like ghosts of simpler times. Dead monitors. Obsolete PCs. Fried printers. A lot of junk has collected after 20 years of the PC.
As the Digital Age spawns an ever-changing need for smarter and more powerful technology, the environment is being choked with a flood of electronic gear and the harmful chemicals hidden inside them.
In 1998 alone, about 21 million personal computers became obsolete in the United States, studies show. Of that number, only 11%--about 2.3 million--were recycled. By 2004, experts predict that at least 315 million more PCs will become obsolete.
One of the main problems comes from cathode ray tubes, or CRTs, the technical name for the glowing screens used in computer monitors and televisions. The average 14-inch monitor uses a tube that contains an estimated 5- to 8 pounds of lead. All that lead can seep into the ground water under landfills or, if the tube is crushed and burned, float up into the air.
Think the lead’s bad? It’s likely there’s also cadmium on the semiconductor chips, chromium in the PC’s steel exterior and brominated flame retardants in the circuit boards.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations make it illegal for businesses to dump computers in the trash.
In California, it is against the law to dump computer monitors into landfills; monitors that are broken or don’t work any more are to be considered hazardous waste, according to the state Department of Toxic Substances Control.
So, how do you get rid of those dust collectors?
First of all, don’t assume that you can donate it to a school or local charity. Many groups, tired of becoming a dumping ground for tech lovers, refuse individual donations.
Instead, start by checking with your computer’s maker. Many of the larger manufacturers have rolled out rebate programs, some better than others.
Gateway pays as much as $50 when you purchase a new PC and recycle or donate your old Gateway machine (https://www.gateway.com/home/programs/tradein_recycle.shtml).
IBM will accept any type of personal computer--even ones not made by Big Blue--but charges $29.99 to get rid of your machine. The fee covers the cost of shipping, but not packing materials or boxes (https://www.ibm.com/ibm/environment/products/pcrservice.phtml).
If that doesn’t work, head over to ElectronicsRecycling.net (https://www.electronicsrecycling.net), which offers resources for every step of the recycling food chain. Click on the icon for “household,” and jump to a page that lets you search by city and state for organizations that recycle electronics--and a fairly detailed list of what items they accept.
Still can’t find what you need? Try Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition’s site (https://www.svtc.org), which offers a comprehensive collection of information about why you should recycle your old electronics.
Finally, folks in the Los Angeles region can turn to the city’s Bureau of Sanitation (https://www.ci.la.ca.us/san), which regularly holds electronic and computer recycling events in various parts of town. The next one is Aug. 18 at Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades.
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Times staff writer P.J. Huffstutter covers technology.
