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

Date: Thursday, 2 June 2005

Title: End Of The Line

Source: By: BY LORETTA SORENSEN

Remarks: none

f you're thinking about trashing your old computer, there are a few things you really need to know about it before you toss it out. First, it may still have some value. If you don't want to bother evaluating its worth, you may consider donating it to a non-profit organization. You also need to make sure there's no regulation that prohibits you from just stuffing it into your garbage can. Mount Marty College Information Technology Director Frank Tudor said large cities levy fines against anyone who takes a computer and piles it with their trash. Toxic components of the computer, he said, makes it a health and environmental hazard in landfills. "A lot of people give them to charitable organizations or anyone who wants them," Tudor said. "There are people who buy them and pay so much per pound for them. They will dissolve and remove the dangerous chemicals before they send what's left to the landfill." Tudor said the lead used to solder components together inside the computer can cause problems in landfills and nearby water sources. "All the boards are covered with dots of lead," Tudor said. "And inside the computer chips, there is silicon and arsenic. In a landfill, the computers break down and the chemicals can leach into the soil and the groundwater." Computer recycling is a business in large cities. The gold that's part of the components can also be removed and collected. Office Specialist Gail Stocking at Yankton's landfill said there are no current regulations that prohibit residents from disposing of computers by placing them in the trash, but that could change in the future. "We don't see that many computers come into the landfill," Stocking said. "Every once in a while, it happens. I'm not aware of the regulations that other communities might have, but it's very possible that bigger cities have some kind of policy." Trace Mahoney, co-owner of Business Computer Services in Yankton, said Compaq used to offer a trade-in program to customers who purchased new systems. "There were some minimum requirements (for processor speed) and that kind of thing. And they didn't give you much credit for them, but they sent them to third-world countries who didn't have any computers," he said. Mahoney said he isn't sure the program still exists since Hewlett Packard bought out the Compaq business. Jason Rule at Yankton Computer and Network Services said the disposal of obsolete technology is an "interesting problem facing the world." Rule said he was familiar with the recycling policy -- or lack of one -- at Yankton's landfill. In repairing or upgrading computers, Rule said, some of the main computer brands such as Dell and Gateway are not easily upgraded. "Any computer that's more than five years old probably isn't worth upgrading," Rule said. "The design of the case for some brands makes it impossible to upgrade the motherboard or memory past a certain point. A custom-built computer is usually easier to upgrade and not too expensive." Rule said his office has information about a company in Nebraska that comes to Yankton to pick up old computers for recycling purposes. Most people, he noted, don't keep their used computer when they purchase a new one. "There are some that are collecting dust in closets," Rule said. "And sometimes people will keep their old computer just to use for e-mail or Internet access." Rule suggested that anyone wanting to dispose of a computer consider contacting a non-profit organization in the community to see if they had a use for it. Gloria Pearson at Yankton Area Adjustment Training Center said they don't accept donations of used computers unless the system is fairly current. "Generally the speed and usability of an older computer is not adequate for our needs," Pearson said. "We have a computer lab with some good computers and we look at upgrading too. The price of computers is continuing to drop and the software that is used now doesn't operate on an older system." Yankton Community Library Director Jim Scholz said the library also doesn't accept outdated technology for many of the same reasons Pearson cited. The needs of users at the library, he said, require fairly high end equipment. "If someone wanted to donate hardware, we'd have to look at it first," Scholz said. "We need at least 17 or 19-inch monitors for administrative purposes." Scholz said that in the recent past the policy at the library was to replace one-fourth of the facility's computers on an annual basis so that all equipment was upgraded on a consistent basis. "But that changed recently," Scholz said. "If you talk to vendors these days, they don't expect the hardware to keep changing as incrementally as it has in the past. So our hardware is going to take care of our needs for a lot longer than it did in the past." Usedcomputer.com is one of numerous Web sites that offers some options for disposing of obsolete technology, including selling it through their site or contacting charitable organizations who do accept them as donations. They also provide a link to the Computer Blue Book, which gives owners an idea of the value of their obsolete technology. Other links on the site include the National Safety Council which offers additional information related to outdated computers. The site did not provide information about the individuals responsible for development and operations of the business, so the reliability of the business should be verified before conducting any purchases or sales agreements.