North America & Australia announce computer recycling programs
by TreeHugger 
on 01. 7.05
Following on from our earlier piece on electronic junk comes news that home and business users, from either side of the Pacific, now have more options for their old computers than just sending them to landfill. Down Under, Dell will take back desktops, laptops, monitors, printers, servers and even handhelds. For $36 AUD Dell will arrange collection of a computer/monitor combo, from users home or office, and deliver it to EPA licenced recycling facilities in Sydney and Melbourne. Lead will be recycled out of the glass in CRT monitors. In North America Ebay has just launched their Rethink Initiative, in concert with a heap of technology folk, the likes of ...
... Apple, Gateway, HP and Intel. In brief, their website offers three ways to move that chunk of unwanted, dust-gathering, beige plastic taking space in the garage or attic. (1) Sell it on eBay (or use them to find someone who’ll take it as a trade-in). (2) Donate it to the Cristina Foundation, who send arrange recycling through orgs that have participants with special needs (or donate a portion of your eBay sale through Giving Works). Or (3) Recycle it using the lists of companies provided by Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) and Earth 911. And what’s the involvement of those big names? A one-stop shop of links to their own recycling efforts, for example, click on the Apple link to learn 'bout their Take Back program. Via ::eWire and a post on ::Greenleap. [by WM]
PS. In UK, you could try people like InterAct, who through their Bridges between World program, are into the recycling and supply of refurbished computer equipment to the Developing World, with the commendable ethos of "helping others to help themselves."
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Have any of you read the most recent Harper's magazine, article by Matthew Power? Dell has had a "recycling" program for years - it consists of sending old computers to China where poor people handpick the guts apart, exposing themselves to awful carcinogens, and cashing in on pennies' worth of copper and other computer raw parts. Sure, recycling looks good to environmentalists over here, but why do we pat ourselves on the back when other people suffer for our clear consciences?
Yes, was aware of the concerns. It is my understanding however that the lead extraction, at least, does take place in Australia.
The same concerns about worker safety and wellbeing are valid for much of the manufacturing that today provides Western society with its plethora of cheaply priced goods. Apart from some manufacturing in places like Ireland, electronics are almost exclusively produced in 'developing countries', where OH&S has not been high on the agenda. In our demand for more and more stuff at silly prices, we all share responsibility for the safe livelihood of workers everywhere.
Have you guys checked out FREE GEEK (www.freegeek.org) in Portland? Cut-and-pasted from their site:
FREE GEEK is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community organization that recycles computer technology and provides low and no-cost computing to individuals and not-for-profit and social change organizations in the community and throughout the world, mostly with volunteers. The volunteers disassemble the donated equipment and test the components, which are either recycled as electronic scrap or recycled into refurbished systems. These refurbished computers are then loaded with Open Source Software, such as GNU/Linux, Open Office, and other Free Software.
Very cool :)