Electronic waste

Scientific American online has a short article on e-waste - junked electronics such as old computers, televisions, iPods , and so on, which contain a variety of toxic heavy metals.

An investigation by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) earlier this year found that the EPA had "no plans and no timetable for developing the basic components of an enforcement strategy" to ensure proper disposal of harmful e-waste, which includes recycling components and safely handling and disposing of toxic materials, including lead, mercury and cadmium, despite having launched new e-waste guidelines in 2007 called "Responsible Recycling," or R2.

But the EPA's standard does nothing to prevent e-waste export or keep it out of landfills, nor does it offer any tracking of toxic components to ensure proper disposal. As it stands, the U.S. produces three million metric tons of the estimated 50 million metric tons of electronics garbage produced worldwide annually, according to EPA.

Often recycled e-waste is exported illegally (in ways that circumvent what rules exist) from the US to China or other developing world countries, where their citizens and children suffer from the resulting pollution.

Another interesting factoid from the article is that process of making a computer from the raw materials consumes about 4 times more energy than the computer itself will ever use.

At the same time, it takes 1.8 tons (1,630 kilograms) of raw materials and roughly 529 pounds (240 kilograms) of coal or other fossil fuels to manufacture every personal computer—81 percent of the energy an average unit will use in its lifetime, according to a study from United Nations University in Tokyo. By extending product life, such energy expenditure—as well as recycling issues—could be restrained.

Recycling old electronics in this country as a private individual is difficult - RadioShack and BestBuy will accept and safely dispose of (?) old batteries, including laptop batteries. Dell and Apple supposedly have programs to take back old electronics from you, but I'm not sure if they'll take anything or only their own products when you buy something new from them. Other than those examples I have yet to find a place that accepts broken computer electronics for recycling without charging you.