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Computer Recycling - Where Should Old Computers Go?

@ 2007/02/13

I still have my Pentium I 200MMX, although I must admit that my 486DX/2 is no longer among the living

"Lets be honest with ourselves for a moment. In the long run, most of us don't think about the environment outside of what directly affects us... hot days, smog, litter in front of our house - that sort thing. At the end of the day, the economic burden we face on a business or personal scale is the price tag that weighs heaviest, and this is a key facet of sustainability. If we take a moment to rethink the economics of something as trivial as tossing out an old junked computer, the idea of 'garbage' can be viewed in a whole new light. Consider the amount of time, money and energy spent in acquiring and transporting the materials, not to mention actually making the thing in question.

Comment from Rutar @ 2007/02/14

It is also a matter how easy it is as people are lazy bums.

Comment from Sidney @ 2007/02/14

It's a matter of definition of "recycle"; the legal way of illegal way. If there are law and requirement governing how to recycle waste, it will be criminal not to follow. Then, there will be no criminals in EU assuming the best

Comment from Rutar @ 2007/02/14

Didn't the EU noobs establish some sort of EU wide recycling program?

At least here, everything sold has a recycling tax added but in return you can give back any old electronics in any shop without an obligation to buy. The stuff then is recycled, which is actually profitably because you reduce they weight of critical waste and you can regain a lot of materials, especially the metals.

Comment from jmke @ 2007/02/14

as long as you don't go hiding in one of those container, you should be fine

Comment from Sidney @ 2007/02/14

With Federal laws tightening on disposable of old monitors and PC boards, some of the salvaging companies are moving these junks by ocean containers to China.

China exports a lot as we all know; what goes back to China is not much; think of the number of empty containers going back. Hence, junks going to China is half the price in freight. A 40-foot container from Southern China to West Coast is around $2500; going back is less than $1300. Without state laws governing hazardous materials, greedy businessmen from Hong Kong is exploiting this for profit.

I have made some arrangement to look into this on my next trip in late March, hope I don't get into trouble.

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