E-Prairie.com

We Recycle Aluminum Cans, Plastic; Why Not Cell Phones, Computers?

Hard drives and motherboards awaiting recycling. Photo courtesy of Intercon Solutions

CHICAGO – Toss the aluminum or plastic can in the trash or exercise effort by recycling? This choice is presented multiple times per day to the average person who drinks sodas and bottled water.

If we replace an aluminum can with a laptop computer or a plastic bottle with a cell phone, will the same effort be exercised?

Why does society place more importance on recycling aluminum cans and paper products than laptop computers and cell phones?

In honor of Earth Day on Saturday, ePrairie posed this question to the EPA. In response, EPA spokesperson Karen Thompson said: “I don’t know.” After a brief pause, she added: “I can’t speak for society.” Additional response to this question was requested but went unanswered by the EPA over a 24-hour period.

Many people might find this response to be interesting considering the large volume of cell phones thrown in the trash each year. According to the EPA, this number reached 130 million per year in 2005. Society does not place an importance on recycling cell phones. There seems to be no evidence that the number of cell phones thrown in the trash is lowering below the 130 million mark.

Why aren’t there signs or TV commercials encouraging people to recycle cell phones the same way society supports the recycling of aluminum cans? Why are there not stories about how computer components will sit in a landfill for thousands of years just like Styrofoam containers? Someone or some entity should take the lead.

It can be said that technology grows and advances every six months. Many people know this fact to be true as new laptop computers developed today are typically obsolete in six months. The average life span is falling, too.

According to the EPA, more than 250 million personal computers became obsolete in 2005. This is evidenced by the average lifespan of PCs, which is falling from 4.5 years in 1992 to an estimated 2 years in 2005, according to the EPA. The statistics are growing each year concurrent with the advancement of technology.

Chicago businesses have recognized the waste technology produces each year.

Benefit to Businesses

Take the average person out of the equation and replace it with a large technology business that uses thousands of pounds of hardware for computers, production and communication purposes each year. Multiply the thousands of pounds by the number of technology companies found in the S&P 500 index. The waste adds up.

“There are no laws forcing big businesses to recycle e-waste,” Thompson said.

That said, why should businesses spend money on recycling e-waste? According to Hasna Abousier of Intercon Solutions in Chicago: “Aside from the obvious good gesture to the environment, recycling your equipment means you’ll never have to worry about data stolen from computer. All e-waste is physically destroyed instead of sitting in waste dumps that are vulnerable to information hackers.”

Abousier says the recycling of e-waste also ensures that business hardware won’t end up on the black market. Intercon Solutions is another Chicago-area company creating a business by disposing and recycling e-waste.

“E-waste refers to consumer and business electronic products nearing the end of their life,” Abousier said. “All e-waste must be recycled properly. The only way to guarantee that it won’t end up in a landfill is through demanufacturing and recycling for its raw material value.”

Abouseir says all electronics contain lead or mercury that is dangerous and toxic if not recycled properly. Mercury and lead can adversely affect the global environment and contaminate ground water.

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