Recycling
E-Waste
Recycling old computers for salvageable materials and the proper disposal of non-recyclable components in accordance with national environmental and safety standards is, of course, the best way to deal with a computer when it reaches the end of its useful life. This allows us as a society to reduce our ecological footprint by consuming fewer raw materials and by minimizing the amount of pollution we generate.
To promote this behavior, some jurisdictions have imposed e-waste recycling programs, such as the joint venture between the provincial government of British Columbia and industry backed Electronic Stewardship Association of British Columbia (ESABC) which puts the costs of managing an electronic device’s disposal on the manufacturer and consumer. This can be done through additional recycling fees collected at the time of purchase [32].
Both for profit and non-profit organizations have also sprung up in order to facilitate the reuse, repurposing and eventual recycling of e-waste. One such non-profit is the community run Free Geek of Vancouver. This organization was founded in 2006 by volunteers who believe that most people should not have to buy new computers. Their aim is to collect unwanted computer equipment, test the equipment to determine what works, upgrade, rebuild, and resell or donate the refurbished computers. Equipment that cannot be repaired or reused is recycled according to transparent and strict government regulations [33]. To view a short (runs 3:24) CBC News story on Free Geek, follow this external link "Does Not Compute."
Of course, another option is to repurpose your old computer when you purchase a new one. Presumably, your old computer cannot run the latest software and that is why you have replaced it, but with a new and lighter operating system, such as Linux, your old computer can become a stand alone web browsing machine, a media center, or a server. This article by John Herrman titled “Dealzmodo Hack: Get Some Use Out of Your Useless Old PC” provides a number of suggested uses for your old computer along with links to free software.
LIBR 500: Foundations of Information Technology, School of Library, Archival and Information Science, University of British Columbia
Neil MacDonald
November 17th, 2008