Recycles.Org  BETA Nonprofit Materials Exchange Network Computer & Office Electronics Recycling & Reuse

Title: Dude, you're gettin' prison labor!

Source: Ken "Caesar" Fisher

Dell's "Dell Exchange" program is coming under fire from environmentalists and civil rights advocates who say that Dell's use of prison labor to recycle computers is inhumane, and a "sham." Under the program, computer owners can execute a number of options to get value out of their aging systems, including auctioning them off, trading them in for upgrades, or donating their boxen to charities. Or, if your box is aged enough, you can ship your system to Dell for recycling (at your own cost, mind you) and 4-6 weeks later they'll send you a coupon for 10% off anything in their software & peripherals store. Considering the cost of shipping, you'd need to be buying a pretty hefty item to offset the shipping cost, but if you're willing to do the math, it might be a good deal. The problem, critics say, is that Dell is using prison labor to recycle these machines, and such workers are not necessarily afforded the safety precautions that normal civilian labor would be. Dell insists that proper precautions are made, and they advertise that their recycling program is EPA-compliant, but that doesn't stop the naysayers at this week's CES in Vegas. "I lost my job. I robbed a store. Went to jail. I got my job back," chanted five mock prisoners wearing "Dell Recycling Team" signs and linked by chains. The real issues are the US's rather unimpressive computer recycling standards, and more general concerns over the morality of using prison labor for, well, anything. Additionally, Dell's use of prison labor is, according to the Robin Schneider, executive director of the Texas Campaign for the Environment, a detriment to establishing a real, nationally viable computer recycling industry. The situation must be a headache for Dell, who earlier this year was the target of the "Toxic Dude" campaign that attacked Dell for not offering any recycling options. What's that about not pleasing all the people all the time?