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Computer Recycling: Get those computers out of the dumpster!
by Cynthia Wetmiller

Every day, thousands of perfectly good computers and computer parts end up in the local dump. What a waste and what a terrible way to treat the environment!

Here are some eye-opening statistics about computer pollution:

Out of 175 million computers comes a laundry list of toxins including 650 million pounds of lead, 987,000 pounds of cadmium and 231,000 pounds of mercury. (Florida Environmental Report, 2001)

Each CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) contains four to six pounds of lead. (New York Times, November 23, 2000)

Computers also contain 2 billion pounds of plastic. (Florida Environmental Report, 2001)

According to University of Florida tests, color monitors contain enough lead to contaminate ground water if deposited in landfills. "Those monitors would fail the legal standards of leaching lead," said Susan Mooney of the EPA, Region 5. (Florida Environmental Report, 2001)

Here are some even more frightening statistics about how valuable computer equipment is wasted instead of recycled to benefit communities:

"Today, two computers become obsolete for every three purchased. By 2005, the ratio will be 1 to 1, which means that we should be able to recycle computers as fast as we make them. For this reason, recycling must be treated like any regular manufacturing task." [D. Navin- Chandra, Carnegie Mellon University, Fortune Magazine, February 6, 1995]

"In the year 2000, the National Recycling Coalition, and industry group, conducted the first large-scale survey of America's electronic recycling efforts. The results were staggering. Between now and 2007, the survey found 500 million personal computers will become obsolete. In 1998 alone, 20 million computers were taken out of service, only 2.3 million were recycled." [H. Schuessler, New York Times, November 23, 2000]

What can you and your students possibly do to help bolster computer recycling efforts in your community?

Here are a few suggestions for helping your computer and/or science students address computer pollution and computer recycling in your classroom and community:

1. Students can team up with community technology centers in the region and develop a campaign to get the word out in the community that consumers should recycle their old computers as they purchase new ones.
2. Local computer stores (Gateway Country, Comp USA, etc.) and electronic stores (Circuit City, Best Buy, etc.) can distribute student-designed and student-researched computer recycling brochures to customers.
3. Students can develop a campaign to encourage computer owners to recyle their ink cartridges.
4. Students can host a "Computer Recycling Day" in the community and collect computers and various computer equipment. This equipment can be donated to organizations that refurbish computers and give them to schools and community organizations.

For more service-learning ideas and inspiration, visit any of these websites:

Carnegie Mellon University Computer Recycling Center
http://www.microweb.com/pepsite/Recycle/Pennsylvania.html

Share the Technology
http://sharetechnology.org/

Computers for Learning
http://www.computers.fed.gov/School/user.asp

Gifts in Kind International
http://www.giftsinkind.org/

Computer Recycling Center
http://www.crc.org/