The Digital Dump: The Hidden Cost Of Your New PC

[skids]

Good dKos diary:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/10/25/194441/08

The lifespan of a home computer is now estimated to be 2 to 3 years. With the inevitable replacement comes the thrill of unpacking that shiny new PC and thoughts of years of effortless applications.

But there is a hidden cost beyond what is paid to Dell, HP or Apple. That portion of the cost falls on the backs of developing nations receiving obsolete computer equipment. Vintage computer equipment is often shipped to developing nations. It is frequently unusable and/or those countries are not prepared to make use it. The equipment, loaded
with toxins, often ends up in dumps. Evironmental hazards are the result.

[populistdriven]

1. I still have every computer I ever bought :D even my packard bell 286!

[FreakinDJ]

2. The people in the those developing countries are glad to have them

In a place were you have nothing.....

I ship computers to the Philippines. I know another man that bought up 1300 books being sold off from the local college library and started a library for a school that had none.

Hech we even contacted a nonprofit organisation in the Philippines who was willing to make all the arraingements for the computers to be tariff free.

It is the companies that ship 2 - 3 year old computers and sell them to the computer age starved people you might want to take offense with. But in a country were school kids don't even have paper to write on, or enough books for the class to study from, any thing is better then nothing

peace

[skids]

3. Yeah, they look REAL happy....

:sarcasm:





What you think they get there in one peice? No, an American company takes any primo parts out and then dumps them. It's only a few charities that manage to get some working ones there.

[Vogon_Glory]

4. My Town Has Computer Recycling

My town has computer recycling. I live in Austin and consumers have at least three ways of properly disposing of their old PCs. They can take it to Goodwill, drop it off by Ecology Action on the southbound access road where it intersects with I-35, and I believe that Dell also recycles old machines (And they needn't be Dell-builts, either).

[ramapo]

5. I just unloaded a car full

My county runs a few events a year and also has a central location for residents to bring their computers. The program isn't that well publicized though and few people realize how toxic their electronic equipment is.