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Whose Burden is it to Recycle Computers?

Posted by Cliff on from the better-than-the-garbage-dump dept.

bostons asks: "California places the financial burden of dealing with the electronic waste on consumers, charging a $6 to $10 disposal fee on every computer and television purchased. Maine puts the onus on manufacturers, demanding they pay the full cost of recycling their computers or televisions and pick up a share of the recycling tab for products of unknown origin. Starting next year, Maryland will require manufacturers to offer free computer take-back programs or pay the state a fee. Which do you think is the most effective and appropriate option?"

3 of 553 comments (clear)

  1. effective? by fanblade · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Which do you think is the most effective and appropriate option?

    Throwing them out. Seriously. Nobody should recycle them unless the consumer feels like they should. And if they feel that way, they can pay. That's right, I said it.

  2. Solution... by John+Seminal · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    California places the financial burden of dealing with the electronic waste on consumers, charging a $6 to $10 disposal fee on every computer and television purchased

    Can't we just send all our shit to some third world country? Hell, it is where we stole most of the natural resources anyways. Maybe if they burry it in the ground, in another 50,000 years they will have coal we can go back for.

    Seriously. Why can't we use some third world nation as our garbage dump? I know I will get flamed for this. But those people don't have nothing anyways. Land in the USA is expensive, it costs too much to throw stuff away.

    Look at Cuba for example. There is a country that is dirt poor and has sanctions against it. Yet the Cuban people are experts at keeping old cars running.

    Maybe if we have an agreement with some African nation to take our computer garbage, they can make 1 working system for every 10 we throw out. They could set up their own buisness oppertunities, maybe open up a call center. Why should India get all the contracts?

    Then a few years later, they can string together 100,000 computers to form a super computer.

    I know this will get modded as troll, but we don't want it and they don't have it. It seems like a solution. All we need to do is figure a way to get it over there. Anyone know where Tina Yothers is?

    --

    Rosco: "If brains were gunpowder, Enos couldn't blow his nose."

  3. Actually, if it's a Dell . . . by hawk · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    . . . the best moves is probably to put *it* in the box, ship it to recycling, and keep using your old computer.

    hawk, who wishes a smiley were appropriate