Recently my mother and I were discussing what
we were going to do with her obsolete PC. She agreed that we needed
to at least update the old system with some more up-to-date
technology. However, a thought came to my mind: What happens to
the old system if we have to throw it out?
Today, it seems as though computers become near obsolete the moment you take them out of their packages and set them up as a workstation. As new technology comes out, it becomes extremely hard to sell the computers to anyone because most people know that they will be getting a slower machine that does not produce at the speed that many of us have become so used to.
So where can these outdated systems go? And furthermore, is it safe for us to simply throw the machines away as trash for the weekly pick-up? With more than 315 million computers expected to be obsolete by 2004, storage space is running out. Many companies and PC users have begun taking the 'computer trash' out, which has raised the eyebrows of concern on the part of many environmentalists.
In fact, concern has reached the peak where the state of Massachusetts has passed the nation's first ban on personal disposal of computer screens, television sets, and other glass picture tubes in landfills or incinerators. "It is a growing problem right now. Computers are filled with all sorts of toxic chemicals, everything from a huge amount of lead in the monitors to mercury and cadmium in other parts of the computers themselves," said Jeremiah Baumann, a member of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group in Washington.
This type of awareness and thought-invoking research has brought about a pioneering effort to find suitable storage for the toxic chemicals found in computers as well as reusing the recyclable materials of old systems that are kicked aside or thrown away.
As far as the toxic chemicals are concerned, several companies are doing their part to make sure the waste is taken care of. For example, a company called Envirocycle takes the parts of computers that are not working and has its technicians repair the parts. In various NY locations, as well as on Internet auction sites, the company resells the many central processing units, monitors and printers that its technicians repair.
Envirocycle also sells the leaded glass that it recovers from computer parts to cathode ray tube companies. It also sends the plastic waste that it gets from these computers to MBA Polymers Inc., who in turn separates and identifies the material for recycling.
Also, a Massachusetts company has created pothole filler that is made up of the plastic recovered from the old machines, a technology that is definitely in demand in the nation's capitol. Also, IBM has decided that it would do its part in using recyclable parts to construct a new PC that is set to go on the market around $2,155.
With these companies making an effort to use the parts of these obsolete computers, it makes our job of maintaining a balanced coexistence with the environment much easier. The task ahead is simply to spread the word so that more people will have the proper understanding of where they can send their old systems.
For my mom, it seems that she won't need to throw out her old system after all…that is, unless she is ready to throw it in the 'recycle bin'
