Where Computers Go To Die

broohaha writes "Salon.com has a featured article on where all our unwanted techno trash gets sent, and what is not being done enough to account for all the so-called 'recycling' we're doing. From the article: 'More than 50 percent of our recycled computers are shipped overseas, where their toxic components are polluting poor communities. Meanwhile, U.S. laws are a mess, and industry and Congress are resisting efforts to stem the effluent of the affluent.' Some sites to visit dedicated to attacking the problem are Computer Take Back Campaign and Ban Action Network."

Comments

First Post?

[Anonymous Coward]

That's Basel Action Network, not Ban Action Network!

another place that takes them in

[pair-a-noyd]

http://www.systemrecycler.com/
Disabled guy takes old equipment, cleans and refurbishs it, repairs it if needed, loads Linux and gives it away to the needy.
Some of it is resold to cover basic costs but it's pretty much a non-profit.

Electronics/Computers are not the only items

[$exyNerdie]

Not too long ago, a french ship lined with toxic asbestos was sent to India (finally had to be returned) and had wide coverage in media. The poor are happy to take these things apart and make some quick cash without any knowledge of long-term ill effects. Sometimes, the hunger and immediate needs prevail over any consideration of long-term ill effects.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4577198.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/469242 0.stm

Illegal in Europe, legal in USA and Asia

[Anonymous Coward]

Our router vendor told us that some models will not be available in Europe anymore, because they contain lead and other dangerous stuff. He also told us that they will continue to sell it in USA and Asia, "because it is not illegal".

Companies don't care about the environment, until governments force them to care.

Re:Illegal in Europe, legal in USA and Asia

[spagetti_code]

In Europe, RoHS (restriction of hazardous waste) laws come into effect in June (or is it July) this year. Any electronics imported after that date will need to comply wrt hazardous materials - so this means all electronics will need to be on new manufacturing lines with lead free components. And its not just lead - preservatives in plastics among others.

List of main culprits is here (Look for "six substances" link).

List is:

Lead - Pb
Mercury - Hg
Cadmium - Cd
Hexavalent Chromium Cr (VI)
Polybrominated biphenyls - PBB
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers - PBDE

Recycling - by law

[hptux06]

Due to an EU directive, computer recycling will become compulsary in the UK in 2008: the related article here describes how the WEEE[sic] will force computer manufacturers to be responsible for their products, by providing a recycling service for *all* the electronic devices they sell.

Re:I do my part

[prichardson]

Of course, your oldest computer probably consumes a lot of power for the meager computing power or storage space it provides. This hurts the planet in an entirely different way.

Re:IMHO Kyoto is dead anyway.

[theonetruekeebler]

The USA has 5% of the world's population but uses 25% of the energy.

The United States uses 23.6% of the world's energy to to produce 28.4% of the world's gross domestic product---it seems that the U.S. is actually rather efficient. (My source for these is the CIA's World Fact Book and a rather large PDF from BP).

It ranks 17th in per capita oil consumption. And it uses less energy per capita than Luxembourg, Iceland, and Candada. Why don't you pick on them for a little while?