PCs, monitors, and other electronics contain hazardous wastes such as barium, beryllium, phosphorus, lead and many other hazardous chemicals. It is important to keep these hazardous chemicals out of our landfills where they can leach into the groundwater. When you recycle, these products are reused to the degree possible, and that is good for the environment. Plus, well, it is illegal to put them in the trash or take them to a landfill (computers, monitors, televisions, and cell phones).
For instance, an amazing 133,000 PCs are junked every day, according to industry analyst Gartner.
Corporations are playing an active role in leading PC recycling.
Lenovo
Lenovo is leading the PC industry in green computing by offering the most PC products that use post-consumer recycled materials. These products also contain a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content than competitors’ offerings, making them among the most environmentally responsible PCs and monitors on the market today.1 In 2008, Lenovo used more than 2.2 million pounds of post-consumer recycled plastics in its PCs. The Lenovo eco Take Back Program allows consumers to recycle any Lenovo or IBM product for free and receive money back on any brand of PC that has residual value. For business customers, Lenovo offers Asset Recovery Services (ARS), to provide computer take-back, data destruction, refurbishment and recycling.
Intel
Working PCs can be sold or donated via the Intel’s Rethink Initiative site.
Dell
Dell has a recycling program, though some of the others aren't free. The service includes free at-home pickup of the used computer products. Dell also offers a fee-based recycling service for consumers who don't meet the requirements of either free program: It charges $10 to recycle up to 50 pounds of computer equipment, regardless of the manufacturer; the fee includes home pickup.
EBay
EBay even provides the instructions needed to safely delete all data on your PC's hard drive or from your cell phone so the next user can't discover your personal information. Also handy are lists of third-party sellers and of nonprofits that will take PCs and peripherals off your hands and refurbish them.
Check out, for instance, HP's Planet Partners recycling or IBM's PC Recycling Service for more details.
Economic benefits of PC recycling
Recycling your old tech gear isn't just environmentally responsible; it's also good for the economy. "For every 10,000 tons of e-waste that are dumped in a landfill or incinerated, one job is created. For every 10,000 tons of e-waste that is reused or recycled, 250 jobs are created," says Neil Seldman, the president of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
Go Green! Recycle your old PC