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LASN Technology March 200803-03-08 | News

Considering an Upgrade?

By Ashley Calabria, MLA, assistant professor, University of Georgia School of Environmental Design, LASN associate editor of technology

Figure 1: Electronic devices in the e-trash pool.

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“Being green?EUR??,,????'?????<

Figure 2: E-waste: Stockpiled keyboards and mice

What is e-Waste

As a passionate technology advocate and environmentally conscious professional, I was fascinated with the statistics concerning e-waste. So what happens to the monitors, keyboards and cell phones which we so quickly and easily discard for the faster, better, cheaper models? According the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, electronic waste, e-waste, comes in a variety forms: PCs, cell phones, telephones, TVs and radios. And the American passion for newer technology has enabled the electronic industry to generate two billion dollars a year to update and upgrade nearly three billion products to service our endless appetite for the latest and greatest.

Awareness

U.S. EPA statistics relate a disturbing reality in the disposal of outdated technology and consequently, the importance of becoming aware of the increasing need for green solutions. For instance, in 2005, an estimated 130,000 computers were discarded a day, 98 million cell phones were discarded in a year and approximately 1.5 to 1.9 million tons of e-waste were disposed of in landfills. Although e-waste makes up less than two percent of the solid waste stream, approximately 70-80 percent ends up in landfills.

Landfills receiving high-tech trash are susceptible to increasing amounts of electronic devices and hazardous materials as technological advances continue. Consider the average computer monitor. It can contain up to four pounds of lead, which requires special handling for removal and disposal. PCs are loaded with hazardous materials?EUR??,,????'?????<

Recycling

There are several ways to foster a green and environmentally responsible computer dependent profession. If the device is no longer functional, consider recycling options. Recyclers recover more than 100 million pounds of recycled materials each year from electronic devices, resulting in less pollution from the manufacturing of these items and less need for using virgin resources.

If you don?EUR??,,????'?????< eiae.org ) or visit mygreenelectronics.org to locate a recycling facility near you.

Manufacturer or Retailer Programs

Manufacturers and retailers take different approaches to give you several options to donate or recycle your electronics. The following programs may be national or regional in scope. Some of the top electronics companies listed here offer some pretty good incentives with trade in values and/or take-back programs. It?EUR??,,????'?????<

Manufacturer/Retailer Programs to Recycle or Donate Your Old Electronics:

Apple:
apple.com/environment/recycling/nationalservices/us.html

AT&T?EUR??,,????'?????< wireless.att.com/about/community-support/recycling.jsp

Best Buy:
communications.bestbuy.com/communityrelations/recycling.asp

Dell:
dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell_recycling

Hewlett-Packard:
hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/environment/recycle/index.html

NEC Display Solutions:
necdisplay.com/Programs/Partner/TradeIn/

Office Depot:
officedepot.com/promo.do?file=/promo/pages/0928_recycling.jsp

Sony:
sony.net/SonyInfo/Environment/recycle/america/index.html

Staples:
staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/ecoeasy/

T-Mobile:
tmobile.com/Company/Community.aspx?tp=Abt_Tab_HandsetRecycling

Toshiba:
toshiba.eztradein.com/toshiba

Verizon Wireless:
aboutus.vzw.com/communityservice/hopeLineRecycling.html

Best Buy, Office Depot and Staples also offer free cell phone recycling at in-store kiosks.

Figure 3: Sony?EUR??,,????'?????<

Donation Programs

Preventing waste from entering the waste stream is most preferable. But donating a barely functional electronic device can often cost donation centers or nonprofit programs hundreds of dollars to fix or dispose of. CompuMentor, a technology assistance organization for nonprofits, lists considerations for donating electronics effectively.

Determine if your old computer is usable. If it?EUR??,,????'?????<
Remember to donate accessories: mice, keyboards, printers, cartridges, modem, packaged software.

If possible, keep the operating system in tact.

If possible, provide original software media and documentation.

Make sure to use disk-cleaning software for wiping your personal information clean.

Keep a list and receipt of what you donated for tax deduction purposes.

Purchasing Environmentally-Sound Products

Purchasing environmentally responsible electronics involves electronics that have been designed with environmentally preferable attributes including:

The consideration of proper end-of-life disposition.

Manufacturer/retailer take-back incentives.

Energy efficiency (Energy Star).

Systems that are easy to upgrade or disassemble.

Use recycled materials.

Use minimal packaging.

Meet performance criteria based on Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT).

Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool criteria for electronics that utilize certain environmental attributes.

EPEAT Bronze?EUR??,,????'?????<
EPEAT Silver?EUR??,,????'?????<
EPEAT Gold?EUR??,,????'?????<

The EPEAT website ( epeat.net ) is a tool for evaluating, comparing and selecting desktop computers, laptops and monitors based on some of the above mentioned environmental attributes. Each listed product receives a label rating of Bronze, Silver or Gold based on the amount of environmental attributes achieved in the production and use of the electronic device.

For more information about e-waste and links to articles and websites, visit epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/basic.htm