For PCs, Refurbishing is better than Recycling
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.23.08
Edward Burtynsky- China Recycling #12
TreeHuggers know that recycling doesn't cut it any more; that reducing and re-using are far better solutions. With computers it was not always an option; the phrase used to be "Intel giveth and Microsoft taketh away" as we kept upgrading our machines to keep up with operating system and software upgrades. But now the internet rules, not the operating system, and as our survey showed, people are keeping their computers for longer and longer periods than before. Not only that, one can now build a business out of refurbishing old computers rather than recycling them.
Edward Burtynsy- China Recycling #9,
Michael Kanellos of CNET looks at TechTurn, a company in Austin that "says refurbishing offers the most efficient alternative to dealing with the world's growing mound of e-waste. Energy doesn't get wasted pulling old computers apart and melting down components into raw materials. Additionally, energy and natural resources aren't consumed for a new PC because the old one has effectively usurped demand for it.
Approximately 80 percent of the notebooks that come into the company's facility get refurbished and resold. The rest get picked apart and sold by component, or munched and melted.
"We are selling laptops that are 10 to 12 years old," says CEO Jeff Ziegler.
Kanellos notes that recycling consumes 20 times more energy than reuse, and that demand for refurbished gear is increasing, particularly for second machines for kids who aren't yet into serious gaming or hanging out in second life. 'With a second or third PC, customers become more price-sensitive and less focused on performance: it's going to be used to only surf the Web, after all." ::cnet
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Kanellos is absolutely right. I guestimate that less than 1% of the people who use a computer need the latest/fastest computer.
99% of the world just need email and Google and a 10 year old computer running Linux will deliver those and more.
As online storage becomes more available we won't even need much hard disc space - just enough to run a slim OS.
I agree. Though I wouldnt want to use a 12 year old computer then most of what we require of power from the computer depends upon what Operating System we use.
If we used Win XP then our PC doesnt need to be so fast. Of course, using Windows 95 would require even less.
The problem is then that a lot of software and also peripheral equipment as printers etc doesn't come with drivers to old Operating systems.
Windows Vista requires a whopping 256 MB RAM - just on the graphics card - in order to work...that is a huge waste just on eye candy.
@weee recycling: Yes, but not without the pain and difficulty of finding ways to make previous programs work on Linux, instead of using substand 'alternatives' or in other words poor knock-offs.
And Vista has several power-saving options to manage computer use wisely.
The fines are huge when improperly disposing of comuter and electronic hardware. There are some other resources out there that companies should consider like:
www.goldensurplus.com: California computer wholesale liquidator of closeout, new and returned surplus or overstock liquidation merchandise.
www.auctionbidmart.com: Nationwide used computer auctioneers offers businesses a surplus auction liquidation portal for buyers and sellers of computer notebooks, used laptops, desktops and workstations, CRT LCD monitors, used Cisco and all network equipment.
www.selltestequipment.com, Inc. Electronic test, data network equipment buyer, Cisco liquidator nationwide computer liquidation services.
www.ilikestuff.com is a retail store in Portland Oregon that buys, sells, and trades all kinds of used, surplus, and second hand merchandise.
www.ewastemc.com - eWaste offers a electronic recycling services to California businesses. We provide clean and efficient computer recycling collection.