This from the San Jose Mercury News today.
U.S. lags in recycling computer junk
? Finding a final resting place for a PC often
carries a price
BY PAUL ROGERS
Mercury News
America is awash in a growing tidal wave of
aging, unwanted computers -- each full of lead
and other toxics -- yet U.S. high-tech
companies lag behind their counterparts in
Japan and Europe in recycling efforts,
according to a new report scheduled for
release today. Japanese companies such as
Canon, Sony, Fujitsu and Toshiba scored the
highest environmental grades in the report,
which was compiled by the Computer Take Back
Coalition, a consortium of 14 environmental
organizations ranging from the Silicon Valley
Toxics Coalition to the Sierra Club.
Among American-based companies, IBM,
Hewlett-Packard and Apple were the only U.S.
companies to finish in the top 10. Other
companies such as Dell, Micron Technology,
Gateway, Lexmark and Acer were labeled
``laggards.''
Computer companies were ranked by their
willingness to recycle old machines from the
public, their use of hazardous materials in
building computers, their reporting of
recycling and toxics data, and worker exposure
to toxics.
``The genius of the high-tech revolution has
been the ability to build newer and faster and
cheaper computers every 18 months,'' said Ted
Smith, executive director of the Silicon
Valley Toxics Coalition, based in San Jose.
``That has been the watchword for 20 years.
But it also means that piles of obsolete
computers are building up in everybody's
basements, garages and attics.''
The complete results are set to be released at
a news conferences in San Jose, Boston,
Seattle, Austin, Los Angeles and other
prominent high-tech cities.
Garbage problem
Computer junk, or ``e-waste'' as it is known
in the industry, is fast becoming one of the
nation's most serious garbage problems.
It can cost $15 a machine to properly dispose
of a computer and monitor -- costs often borne
by hapless city governments stuck with old
286s and other worthless cyber-antiques in
their landfills and on household drop-off
days.
And the amount of computer junk is
skyrocketing. Americans now purchase more
computers every year than TV sets. And few
people know what to do with their old
machines.
In 1999, 24 million computers in the United
States became obsolete, according to the
National Safety Council. Of those, only 14
percent were recycled or donated to charity.
Nearly all the rest were dumped in landfills
or left in storage.
That's a problem because the average PC is
full of hazardous materials. While in use,
they pose little to no risk. But when machines
are dumped or burned, they become a toxic
dilemma.
The glass in computer monitors contains
roughly four pounds of lead each. The lead is
used to shield users from X-rays emitted from
cathode ray tubes. Even though lead has been
banned in gasoline and paint for a generation,
city landfills continue piling it up from
computer monitors and old TV screens. Newer
flat panel monitors can be made without lead.
Circuit boards and PCs also contain mercury,
cadmium and other toxic metals.
Industry representatives acknowledge the
problem but say they can't be forced to
shoulder all the disposal costs -- which could
run into the billions.
``It is we in the public who buy all this,''
said Margaret Bruce, environmental programs
director with the Silicon Valley Manufacturing
Group, based in San Jose.
``Ultimately it will be all of our
responsibility to deal with it.''
Charging
Among U.S. companies, IBM and Hewlett-Packard
now take back unwanted computer junk by mail,
but they charge on average about $30 a
machine.
Today's report notes that both Europe and
Japan have passed laws in the past year
requiring all computer makers to take back old
machines for free. No such laws exist in the
United States.
``There are a lot of Silicon Valley companies
who are watching to see how it works in Europe
and Japan,'' said Bruce. ``They want to do
these programs too. But we are in a recession.
They have to pay their employees. I haven't
heard from anyone that it is a bad idea.
There's an awful lot of head scratching on
`how do we make this work?' ''
Bruce noted that some computers are so old
their makers are no longer in business. She
suggested that the ultimate solution will
probably be some kind of government-industry
partnership, similar to what is done with
tires and car batteries, in which a cost of
perhaps $10 would be added to the price of a
new computer and the money would fund city
take-back programs.
Some efforts are beginning at the state level.
This year, 33 states debated computer trash
laws in their legislatures. Only three passed,
and they were minor measures, said Jerry
Powell, editor of E-Scrap News, a newsletter
based in Portland, Ore.
Colorado formed a committee to study the
problem. Arkansas and Florida began state
programs to help cities pay for computer
disposal.
``There's been a lot of discussion, but not
much action,'' Powell said. ``Congress sees
this as a state issue. And most of the giant
warhorse environmental groups are not taking
this issue on yet.''
Hazardous, illegal
In March, California's Department of Toxic
Substances Control announced that cathode-ray
tubes are considered hazardous and illegal to
dump in municipal landfills. In essence,
cities are now stuck with them when the public
tries to throw them away.
``Local governments are being hit hard by
this.'' said Smith. ``They don't have the
funds to deal with it, and they are making the
strongest case for the state to do something
about it.''
To see the report go to the Silicon Valley
Toxic Coalition's Web site at www.svtc.org.
For list of Bay Area computer recyclers:
www.svtc.org/cleancc/recycle/recycletable.html
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