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The Electronics Takeback Coalition runs a computer takeback campaign and maintains a list of electronics recyclers who they have deemed "responsible" based on a pledge the listed recyclers have signed onto. The pledge includes no exporting, no sending to prisons (where labor safety standards are often nonexistent or unenforced), and not sending it to landfills or incinerators.

Here in San Francisco, I regularly bring recycling to Computer Recycling Center dropoffs. They even do pickups if you have at least 10 items to recycle at once.

The Electronics Takeback Coalition runs a computer takeback campaign and maintains a list of electronics recyclers who they have deemed "responsible" based on a pledge the listed recyclers have signed onto. The pledge includes no exporting, no sending to prisons (where labor safety standards are often nonexistent or unenforced), and not sending it to landfills or incinerators.

Here in San Francisco, I regularly bring recycling to Computer Recycling Center dropoffs. They even do pickups if you have at least 10 items to recycle at once.

How has Apple handled recycling?

According to the "The 2005 Computer Report Card" by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, "Apple, Dell, Gateway, and HP are the companies that use recyclers that have signed the Electronic Recyclers Pledge of Stewardship. To learn more about the Recycler Pledge go to: http://www.svtc.org///cleancc/recycle/recycler_ple dge.htm".

In that report, note that Apple received the second highest score in the category of "DISPOSAL CHAIN". That category indicates the degree to which a company will audit the entire disposal chain (including work sub-contracted to suspicious companies in China, Taiwan Province, and Korea) to ensure that recycling of old computer equipment is done in accordance with the most ethical, most responsible practices.

Note that Apple management actually signed the Electronics Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship, committing to the gold standard of ethical, responsible recycling.

Finally, the recent decision by Apple management to take back old equipment for free is probably due to the tireless efforts of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) and other groups in the Computer TAKE-BACK Campaign (CTBC). When Steve Jobs gave the keynote speech at the 2005 graduation ceremony at Stanford University, CTBC flew a banner over the ceremony. The banner exclaimed, "STEVE - DON'T BE A MINI PLAYER - RECYCLE ALL E-WASTE".

I have a lot of computer junk in my basement that I have not gotten rid of due to this problem. I feel that it's better for it to gather dust in my basement (and on my front porch; I have an old tower case I put there that I need to move) than it is for it to leech gunk out of a landfill somewhere.

I went to http://www.computertakeback.com/ and clicked on Missouri and was not given a list of recyclers to go to but instead given bullshit about how great their pledge for recyclers is. That's great and all, but aren't you supposed to be telling me where to dispose of my e-waste? You aren't doing that, c'mon!

So where do I take it? I have an old Mac and miscellaneous other computer parts I don't need. I have an entire system that I will be retiring soon and replacing with a Shuttle-type box or an Intel Mac tower when those are released (though I may re-use a few of the components and put the hard drives in external Firewire enclosures).

I also am hard of hearing and have a large number of used hearing-aid batteries that need to be disposed of. Where can I take my large stash of used batteries for safe disposal? They are not fit to be thrown into a landfill. This is going to be an ongoing need for the rest of my life as I can't see self-powered hearing aids being introduced any time soon!

Apple will take them back at any of its stores, according to http://www.computertakeback.com./

There are solutions - these can easily be implemented by huge electronics multinationals making millions from consumer electronics sales, encapsulated in a short phrase - clean it up and take it back:

1. Take out the toxic chemicals - if manufactures take out the worst toxic chemicals from their products then it is easier and safer to reuse and recycle them. This doesn't stop them being dumped in Asia but it at least makes products easier to recycle and less dangerous for those handling them. Some companies like Nokia, Sony and HP have already committed to do this. Others like Dell and Apple haven't.

2. Take it back. The companies who made the products should be responsible for them at the end of their lives. If manufactures had to do this there would quickly be design changes made by the companies - consumers would get products that last longer, products would be designed to contain less dangerous chemicals and be easier to recycle because the company that makes them has to deal with the waste. After pressure from Computertakeback companies like Dell and HP support the principle of producer responsibility. In contrast Apple clearly doesn't think its their problem.

If any industry can change it's the innovative, fast moving consumer electronics industry. They are promoting fast turn over of consumer items so they should be tackling the consequences.

Tom

There are solutions - these can easily be implemented by huge electronics multinationals making millions from consumer electronics sales, encapsulated in a short phrase - clean it up and take it back:

1. Take out the toxic chemicals - if manufactures take out the worst toxic chemicals from their products then it is easier and safer to reuse and recycle them. This doesn't stop them being dumped in Asia but it at least makes products easier to recycle and less dangerous for those handling them. Some companies like Nokia, Sony and HP have already committed to do this. Others like Dell and Apple haven't.

2. Take it back. The companies who made the products should be responsible for them at the end of their lives. If manufactures had to do this there would quickly be design changes made by the companies - consumers would get products that last longer, products would be designed to contain less dangerous chemicals and be easier to recycle because the company that makes them has to deal with the waste. After pressure from Computertakeback companies like Dell and HP support the principle of producer responsibility. In contrast Apple clearly doesn't think its their problem.

If any industry can change it's the innovative, fast moving consumer electronics industry. They are promoting fast turn over of consumer items so they should be tackling the consequences.

Tom

and prior to recycling there is the impact of resource consumption.

i wonder how many more resources go into the production of e-paper over tree/hemp/etc. paper? anyone feel like doing some back-of-the-envelope calculations?

i feel very concerned when i notice so much focus on recycling and very little focus on consumption. if you are concerned about the earth/your home/"your back yard" ask yourself "how can i consume *less*?" because by consuming less we make the recycling problem smaller.

if this site http://www.weeeman.org/ is at all accurate, we geeks are using quite a bit of our share of the earth's resources with each new computer we purchase. according to this site, if we divide the earth's resources evenly amongst the current population, our individual "earthshare" is equal to ~two football fields. purchasing *one* computer uses ~4.25% of your earthshare. if you purchase six computers you consume 25% of your earthshare. and this doesn't include _any_ of the other things you are consuming (car, house, other electronic devices, etc.).

here's a couple more sites for more information about e-waste:

Basel Action Network - BAN
http://www.ban.org/

Computer TakeBack Campaign
http://www.computertakeback.com/

btw, here's where you can get the most eco-friendly paper i know of: http://www.livingtreepaper.com/products.html

peace

This is great. It's the Right Thing to do. It's also great to see grassroots pressure from consumers have an impact. Check out this campaign page on iPod recycling from the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.

polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDE for short, is similar in nature to PCB's which actually can effect your health way beyond allergies. Here's a couple sites for you to visit. Not to mention all the toxic metals used in the board that constantly being heated up.

http://www.computertakeback.com/the_problem/bfr.cf m
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/04/10862036 10297.html