Computer recycling? Donations? What should we do when our computer gets too old?

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Permalink Reply by Mohammad Kawsar Uddin on July 21, 2009 at 5:24am

I think Donations in the third world would be best uses of the old computers.

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Permalink Reply by Niranjan Meegammana on July 21, 2009 at 7:29am

Hi All
Electronic components contain chemicals harmful to human heath and their recycling has created environmental problems.

John Biggs says "the electronics recycling industry has destroyed the ground water and lead poisoning is effecting young children due to the overall mess created by this lucrative sweatshop industry." (1)

"In Taizhou's outdoor workshops, people bang apart the computers and toss bits of metal into brick furnaces that look like chimneys. Split open, the electronics release a stew of toxic materials -- among them beryllium, cadmium, lead, mercury and flame retardants -- that can accumulate in human blood and disrupt the body's hormonal balance" (2)

Donations to third world contries will only transfer the problem, not a solution. e-Waste remains on the globe.

What else can we do ?

Niranjan Meegammana
http://www.ShilpaSayura.org

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Permalink Reply by Laia Fauró Gual on July 22, 2009 at 11:42am

Thanks Niranjan and Mohammad for your contributions.

It is a big problem that our generations need to deal in order to avoid a worse problem for the future. Providing poor areas of good tech systems is good if contributes to the region development, mainly for the services ICT can offer (we all know it :)) But transfering them e-waste is not the solution for sure. It wouldn't be cooperation at all.
There are different ways of re-using old computers or special public places where recycle them. At least it works like this in Barcelona, and I know some of them. No idea about how it works in other places. Any suggestion?

Some days ago there was a post in the Telecentre.org Spanish Site about a campaign organised by Microsoft, Intel and Toshiba which aim was encouraging people to recycle old computers when buying a new one. This article is in spanish, but i attach the link for those who could understand it (+info)

EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) may be able to provide some inputs about it as well...

Thanks again.
Laia

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Permalink Reply by Alan Foo on July 23, 2009 at 6:29am

How do you define an old computer?

To a rich guy a working pentium IV is old and has no use for it.

To the poor guy who has nothing ... it is heaven sent

Well , what to do with old computers?

In the western world... that kind of computers , as long as they are still in working conditons, can be useful to other poorer countries or even local poor.

So getting an old computer well refurbished and certified to be of good condition can be safely given to third world countries. WE do not encourage the broken down ones not even fit for the dumpsite.

Btw... we have countries and our distributors asking where to get these free donated computers. Maybe some of you have ideas. They are too poor to buy new computers and our solutions do not need such.

Alan
www.paperlesshomework.com

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Permalink Reply by Francis Mwathi on July 28, 2009 at 7:15am

The methods adopted for processing the e-waste involve uncontrolled burning, disassembly and disposal causing environmental and health problems, including occupational safety and health effects. Proper treatment of e-waste is the need of the day. If recycled appropriately a lot of reusable valuable substances can be extracted from it.


Tracing the path of recycled electronic products is considerably more complicated. Most circuit boards and some hard drives can be marketed for resale as operational parts. Unusable circuit boards can be chopped into a powder and separated into fiberglass, metals, and precious metals through a process called fire assay.


Computer monitors are handed over to a separate demanufacturing line; where workers remove the plastic housings, metal supports, and circuit boards. The cathode ray tube (CRT) itself is a funnel-shaped, leaded glass tube with a metal frame inside. The worker separates the funnel from the front panel glass. The CRT is then crushed, and the leaded glass and metal are separated. The glass is screened, processed, and inspected for contaminants. Much of it can be sold to CRT manufacturers for use in new CRT glass. The metal is sold for its scrap value

There should also be a range of legislative initiatives to reduce electronic waste and to require industry to take more responsibility for the disposal and recycling of the products they manufacture. As a result of growing public concern, manufacturers and retailers should develop their own programs to manage electronic equipment discards. In addition, state, national and private stakeholders in electronics management should team together to negotiate a voluntary agreement that addresses discarded electronics.

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Permalink Reply by Laia Fauró Gual on July 28, 2009 at 8:28am

Some interesting videos in youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl2j83LCHss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n0wOnLNXwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLKK-N0UhCY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUDF-i6uieg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4xBFXYmDNU

And some contributions from Telecentre-europe:
http://telecentreeurope.ning.com/forum/topics/technologicelectronic...;

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Permalink Reply by Henry Kilonzo on July 29, 2009 at 2:39am

I think, we still have some communities in the development world who do not know what a computer is. They should be targetted.
Computer lessons have been introduced in schools in Africa, donating the old ones to schools (both primary and high schools) will go long way in empowering these young generations to face current and future challenges.

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Permalink Reply by Francis Mwathi on July 30, 2009 at 3:22am

Hi members there is something else that I had forgotten to mention. As much as I would like to agree with Henry, Mohammed and indeed the rest of you, I prefer taking a more cautious path. I have realized that many people are advocating for computers to be shipped to third world countries as second hand. I come from third world country and this issue has always elicited mixed reaction. I am one of those who can confess that my skills in IT were honed off second hand equipment from the time I first came across a computer in the late 90’s. I also saw how second hand computers facilitated the rapid uptake of IT in the corporate sector. From big to small businesses, those that realized the need to take up computerization, most of them could not afford to buy the brand new PCs at the time and the second hand imports proved to be the best bet.

Recently the government of Uganda in its 2009/2010 budget banned the sale of imported second hand computers with those already in stock given a three-month grace period. Some people criticized the move saying it would derail the impressive growth of ICT usage due to availability of affordable computers.

Others commended the move arguing that in most developed countries, there is a lot of electronic waste and the cost of disposing off this waste is so high so they dump them here under the guise of charity and that the used computers often do not work for a long time and when their time of usage is up, we are the ones stranded with the waste and we cannot export it elsewhere. While most people value the cost of a product based on the initial payment made, it is important to factor in the recurrent costs associated with the product too. Most of the second hand PCs have high electricity consumption and expensive or unavailable spare-parts due to obsolescence. When you factor this into the overall cost of the product, you find that it is not as cheap as it is claimed to be. So if we went down to the wire, it is possible to make one realise that the cost argument is not applicable. Still some Instead people are urged to go for clone computers which are also relatively cheaper. Clone computers are computers whose components are imported then locally assembled.

So are second hand computers the way to go especially in third world settings or there is a need to ensure that minimum quality standards are set for the kind of imported even if they are second hand?

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Permalink Reply by Dani Matielo on August 3, 2009 at 2:55pm

Hello, all,

In Europe, the "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive" (WEEE Directive) sets collection, recycling and recovery targets for all types of electrical goods. In other words, it says that producers are responsible for taking back and giving a sustainable solution to the e-waste generated by their products.

Still, the targets set by this directive are under discussion, since the amount of eletronic waste that is indeed being recycled/reused is just one third of the total e-waste generated, as one can read in the website of the Weee legislation:

"Despite such rules on collection and recycling only one third of electrical and electronic waste in the European Union is reported as appropriately treated and the other two thirds are going to landfills and potentially to sub-standard treatment sites in or outside the European Union."

In any case, there are several other discussions which should be addressed in order to really achieve a sustainable solution for this issue.

As Francis and Niranjan put, sending them to developing countries does not solve the problem, even though we know that it is essential to re-use before recycle (reduce, reuse and recycle, in this order, is the common rule when looking for an environmentally friendly change of behaviour).

In this sense, I would also say that even though the strategy of giving discounts for people that are buying new computers can help making users bring their computers to the stores where they can be appropriately recycled, in the other hand the campaign might promote the exchange of model in a faster pace that is indeed necessary.

Also, on the topic of sending used equipment to developing countries, the problem is, as already stated: what is going to happen with them when they become not usable? Maybe one alternative could be to hold the companies responsible for recycling the computers even after they have been donated to this projects in developing countries.

Another interesting point for discussion, though, is about the impact of promoting digital inclusion through the use of "old computers". What difference does it make in the types of uses available to the users?

In a last note, I would like to say that we have organized a Working Group about E-waste management in the IV Congress of CyberSociety and invite you all to participate. We accept both texts, videos and slide presentations. You can find further information here:

E-waste management WG.

The idea is to have a broad discussion on the theme, with the most different point of views as possible.

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Permalink Reply by Niranjan Meegammana on August 4, 2009 at 3:27am

Dani brings out an interesting point to make

1. Pople return old computers when they buy new ones
2. Make manufactures responsible for recycling

1 seems a good idea, yet we have an issue who will take over the recycling. 2 seems to be a solution but the problem will be there with

None Branded computers
Upgraded computers
Computers assembled from different parts

This will increase costs and make computers further away from poor.

I think it should be a responsibility of the owner of the PC. It's unlikely a US firm to take responsibility for rycycling an equipment shipped to ghana. The trade is global now. Our problem is to reduce e-waste from the recycling process done for business needs. We need to develop practices, caretakers and policies about e Waste.

Niranjan Meegammana
http://www.shilpasayura.org

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Permalink Reply by Sandra Nassali on August 4, 2009 at 5:53am

Hi, i would go with what Dani brings out- the WEE Directive which encourages collection, recycling and recovery targets for all types of electrical goods since producers are responsible for taking back and giving a sustainable solution to the e-waste generated by their products.

This will work better because there is no possible means other than this of doing away with wasted electronics.

Also, am thinking that if producers would have minimum standards of the quality of products that they produce would also help deal with the issue at stack. These would be good standards that ensure that the electronics are durable for a good period of time so as to avoid e wastes. Some products (computers) especially those imported by developing countries are usually of poor quality, they are not durable and so get spoilt after about 3 years of being in use and this increases e waste effects since they will have to be disposed off. So minimum quality standards for the products should be set.

Cheers

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Permalink Reply by Dani Matielo on August 4, 2009 at 1:17pm

Hello, Sandra and all.

I agree that raising the standards for the production of electronic equipment is one important action to deal with e-was waste. The innitiative Eco Label, http://www.eco-label.com/default.htm as I understand it, proposes to certify companies and products that are developmed compling to this sustainable standards. But for this kind of strategy to take effect, it would also be important to raise awareness among people that are buying the products about the harm that toxic substances can have in the environment.

I also agree with Niranjan that individuals should be responsible for their own e-waste. But I would put it as "co-responsible": in Japan, for example, they "have enforced the Home Appliance Recycling Law (HARL), which calls for end-of-life home appliances to be recycled through the cooperation of consumers, retailers, and manufacturers". So, the responsability of recycling is shared among all those implicated in the lifecycle of the product.

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