Tip of the Week

Lower Your E-waste Level

Boy, did that feel good. I just lugged two heavy, old computers, an adaptor and Dymo stamp machine to a church just a few blocks from my home where they were loaded on to a pickup truck. The Lower East Side Ecology Center sends its trucks into neighborhoods around the city three times a year. They are in my neighborhood in the fall. In the two years since they launched, they've collected over 100 tons of obsolete computer equipment from NYC residents and institutions.

What do they do with the e-waste they collect? They don't just throw it away, as many suspect happens when we recycle household items. They work with local computer recyclers who evaluate all incoming equipment and either refurbish computers for reuse or break down the equipment into component parts, which get recycled. All hazardous materials are disposed of following EPA guidelines. Cell phones are sent to CollectiveGood, where they are either refurbished for reuse or recycled.

Why recycle obsolete electronic equipment? Because their electronic components contain hazardous materials such as lead, mercury and cadmium. According to an EPA study, about 40% of heavy metals, including lead, mercury and cadmium, in landfills comes from electronic equipment discards.

The Lower East Side Ecology Center will take TVs, VCRs, radios, copiers, printers, monitors, answering machines, keyboards, you name it. I had a printer to recycle as well, but it's a Dell, and I preferred to send it back to Dell. They have a take-back program. I would much rather manufacturers take back obsolete equipment, refurbish and reuse the parts.

For a list of companies with take-back programs and those which are using less toxic materials, read The Green Guide's Product Report on Computers.

For more on recycling, here's a searchable database of e-waste recyclers around the country.

© The Green Guide, 2008

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