Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Bill Geschwind" <geschwin AT email.unc.edu>]

I was afraid something like this was going on. Now, I would like to
clean out my closet one of these days and get rid of the old computer
junk stored up in it, but I would like to dispose of it in an
environmentally responsible way. I'm sure most of you have gotten rid of
old "e-waste" of some sort before. What have you done with it to get rid
of it? What are the best ways to get rid of it (if any) and make sure it
doesn't end up in one of these appalling places?

- Bill

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Childers.Paula AT epamail.epa.gov 
> [mailto:Childers.Paula AT epamail.epa.gov] 
> Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 9:55 AM
> To: InterNetWorkers
> Subject: [internetworkers] Re: FUD alert!
> 
> 
> 
> well, apparently, here is what happens to "old tech," and it ain't
> pretty:
> 
> Computer dumping "polluting Asia": 
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1839000/1839997.stm
> 
> US Dumping e-waste in India, China: 
> http://infotech.indiatimes.com/news/feb/feb27/news03.html
> 
> Much toxic computer waste lands in Third World: 
> http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2002/02/25/computer-waste.htm
> 
> and so on.
> "The growing amount of computer waste is becoming an 
> increasing problem, with millions of devices becoming 
> obsolete each year as the technology
> industry produces faster, better  and less expensive 
> equipment.   While
> there are recycling programmes in the US, campaigners say 
> much of the waste electronics finds it way to the developing 
> world.  The report suggested that as much as 80% of America's 
> electronic waste collected to be recycled is shipped out of 
> the country. "Everybody knows this is going on, but they  are 
> just embarrassed and don't really know  what to do about it," 
> said Ted Smith, head of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, 
> which also helped prepare the new report. "They would just 
> prefer to ignore it." "
> 
> Sometimes tech isn't all it's cracked up to be.
> Paula the lurker
> 
> 
> 
> Now, if MS discourages institutions from accepting donated 
> computers, this does bring up another question: what to do 
> with those millions of computers that were built and sold 
> during the 80's and 90's and are now hopelessly obsolete? 
> .... what will happen to all of that hopelessly obsolete 
> equipment that is cluttering up your closet in a few years, a 
> decade or several decades down the road? My closet is already 
> full of old junk, and I just don't have room in it for one 
> more generation of computer stuff. Are we going to eventually 
> have computer junkyards littering the countryside or 
> outskirts of town like we have automobile junkyards today? 
> What about the environmentally hazardous materials inside the 
> computers (lead solder, batteries, etc.)? Has there been a 
> discussion on this subject here in the past before I joined, 
> and if so, any good suggestions?
> 
> - Bill
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ---
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