Recycling the 'Green' Way

For systems builders, the proper recycling or disposal of hardware systems is becoming as important as knowing how to purchase them. It's estimated that there are more than 750 million PCs in use worldwide. Because computer components contain heavy metals, including lead and mercury, improper disposal at landfills can pollute drinking water.

The time may soon arrive when systems builders will need to line up their disposal chain. In fact, in California, Maine, Maryland and Washington, that time has already come: Strict laws are in place regarding electronics recycling.

But making PC recycling your main business isn't recommended. The field is going through a rapid consolidation, according to David Daoud, a market analyst at research firm IDC, Framingham, Mass. Recyclers must comply with environmental laws and carry liability insurance. That implies large-scale facilities around the globe.

However, there are ways systems builders can help customers recycle PCs.

Disposing of Old Components

• CRT Monitors: CRTs need to be recycled. A typical cathode-ray tube contains 8-plus pounds of toxic lead. Many municipal garbage services won't even accept CRT monitors, and several states have enacted laws regarding their recycling. California requires CRT buyers to pay a disposal fee up front. Consumers are expected to turn over old CRTs to recyclers or municipal collectors. Maine and Maryland charge vendors for items collected by local governments. If you offer to remove customers' old monitors, find recyclers, such as Earth 911, to handle the chore.
• Circuit Boards: While there's money in boards, it usually means sending the scrap to Third World countries, where child laborers pry apart the components, and the leftovers are typically tossed into a landfill. If you are handling disposal for a third party, you may need certificates that prove the scrap was disposed of properly and that child labor wasn't involved.
• Batteries: The federal Battery Act sets recycling standards for manufacturers and waste handlers. Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. (RBRC) has a network of U.S. collection points at some 30,000 retail outlets. Check RBRC's Web site.
• Ink and Toner Cartridges: Printer cartridges often come with a recycling envelope. Another option, if you lose the envelope, is Enviro Solutions, which offers cash for laser toner and ink cartridges.
• Hard Drives: Merely getting rid of them is not enough. You must also erase the data. Some U.S. states have even passed privacy laws requiring that hard drives be wiped clean before being trashed.
• You can erase data yourself, or use software, such as Active@KillDesk Hard Drive Eraser from LSoft Technologies. A freeware version is available on the company's site.
• A disk's residual magnetization may still hold usable data, so you may want to physically destroy it. Drilling holes in the drive will make it unusable. But there's the possibility that data could still be retrieved. Hard Drive Disposal is a company that shreds hard drives, starting at $13 a drive.
• Earth 911
• To locate a recycling outlet, the Earth 911 Web portal lists about 80,000 agencies that recycle, dispose of and reuse items ranging from old paint to electronics.
• There you have it--ways to help your customers and protect the environment.