Computer recycling
Computer recycling has become a very important issue, not least because of the introduction of the
WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)
Directive in 2007.
The WEEE regulations are a new piece of legislation that aims to reduce the amount of electrical equipment which ends up in landfill;
by ensuring it is collected, treated and recycled.
However, the WEEE Directive isn't the only reason why proper IT disposal is so important.
The following information shows that there are a whole host of reasons why it's essential to ensure that your computer is either reused or 100% recycled.
- data protection
- saving resources
- protecting the environment
- helping others
- summary
Data Protection
Unless computers are properly data-wiped using approved software, the remaining data is easily retrievable by anyone with a small
amount of computer knowledge. Proper data wiping is a legal requirement and is offered by many computer recyclers and computer recycling charities,
and you should always receive certification that PCs have been wiped.
Saving Resources
Often, when computers are disposed of, they are still working and have many years of life remaining. Generally, working monitors, laptops, and
computers that are Pentium III processors or above are suitable for reuse. Reuse
is the best form of recycling and many organisations, such as the
charity Digital Links International, can facilitate the reuse of your old computers.
The reason this is so important is because manufacturing computers is materials intensive;
- the total fossil fuels used to make one desktop computer weighs over 240 kilograms, some 10 times the weight of the computer itself.
This is very high compared to many other goods: for an automobile or refrigerator, for example, the weight of fossil fuels used for production is
roughly equal to their weights. Substantial quantities of chemicals (22 kg), and water (1,500 kg) are also used.
It is therefore vital that maximum usage is derived from each and every PC, and donating redundant computers to charities is a key way to achieve this.
Protecting the Environment
Computers are made up of plastics and metals that can be usefully reused, so it is incredibly important that computers that can't be reused are properly
recycled, rather than just dumped in landfill. In addition to this, some computer equipment
contains hazardous materials that leak into the ground if dumped, so simply skipping the equipment is prohibited under the
Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 (amongst other things, the Regulations cover CRT monitors,
and parts of some PCs).
Many councils provide recycling facilities for waste electrical and electronic equipment at Household Waste and Recycling Centres. For further details
contact your local council or click onto the bank locator
to find your nearest facility.
Helping Others
If you enable the reuse of your old computers you can help to provide opportunities for disadvantaged people. Some charities help to provide computers
to underprivileged groups in the UK, and charities like Digital Links International provide computers to schools in the developing world, helping to
bridge the global 'digital divide' between developed and developing nations.
Summary
So, when disposing of your equipment, you need to make sure the company or charity you use will:
- enable the reuse of any suitable equipment,
- properly data wipe all base units with professional software
- 100% recycle all parts of any equipment not suitable for reuse.
Digital Links International can ensure that all of this happens, and can also provide feedback about how much waste donors have diverted from
landfill, and how many people they have helped. Digital Links can also provide special feedback for schools, with child-friendly information sheets
about the importance of recycling computers.
Click here for more computer recycling contacts
The above information has been sourced from Digital Links International with permission.
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