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OBVIOUSLY.CA

COMPUTERS AND OTHER ELECTRONICS

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Old Computer System

Every year, we decide that millions of computers are obsolete. Most of us just replace old machines instead of getting them fixed.

It's been estimated that North Americans will have stored up in the neighbourhood of half a billion old computers by 2007! The numbers may vary but the story's the same with phones, televisions, stereos, small appliances and other electronic devices.

What we do with old computers and electronic devices has serious consequences for our health and environment. Computer and electronic equipment contains plastics, steel, glass, mercury, lead, gold, flame retardants, cadmium and other materials that can pollute the water we drink and the air we breathe.

Electronic waste (or 'e-waste') is increasingly becoming a problem in Third World countries, too. A lot of e-waste is getting exported, so we're risking contaminating land and water both at home and abroad.

Putting these materials back into productive use means they don't go into the environment. And we have less need to extract virgin materials.

Computers, electronics and the environment:
  • The average lifespan of a computer has shrunk from four or five years to two years

  • Producing a desktop computer and monitor uses up ten times their weight fossil fuels; the natural resources and chemicals that go into its manufacture weigh about as much as an SUV.

  • Every year, more than 272,000 tonnes of computer equipment, phones, televisions, stereos and small appliances end up in Canadian landfills. That's enough waste to fill five Great Lakes freighters!

E-waste doesn't have to be wasteOld Computer System

The first thing we should always think about when discarding something is whether there's a worthy cause that could make use of it. School, charities and other non-profit organizations are usually a good choice.

For people in the Greater Toronto Area, the Electronics Recycling Association provides depots where you can drop off old computers and electronics. For more information, go to http://www.era.ca/donations/recycling/index.html.

Here are just a few more options when it comes to computers you no longer need:

Many municipalities have "take-it-back days" for various products, including used electronics. A number of retailers participate in "take-it-back" programs. And some manufacturers, including Dell and Apple, accept spent equipment for recycling.

To find out about such programs, contact your municipality or participating manufacturers.

There are also private companies that recycle computers. There's a caveat here: Choose computer recycling companies wisely because some of them send equipment to countries where recycling is cheaper because fewer safeguards are in place. Do your research. We're no better off if we protect our own environment at the expense of the environment in other countries.

In some communities, there are businesses that salvage metals from electronics for reuse. If you can't donate your old electronic devices, see if you can put their parts to good use.