Day 18 - Doesn't compute

Every trash day, as I drive through my neighborhood, I see at least one or two computers and monitors out for the trash. It has always disturbed me from a pack-rat point of view, but I never realized how bad this actually is for the environment.

Jeffrey Farber at Turtle Wings, Inc., a corporation that provides electronics recycling to companies and communities in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., says computer components are toxic. You should never dispose of them in the trash, because one 17-inch computer monitor can contain as much as 10 lbs. of lead, which begins to leach from the machine and into the water table the first time it gets rained on.

Farber says the monitors and older televisions Turtle Wings collects are sent to a special recycling center, where the glass, lead and plastic are separated. These components are recycled or reused, leaving only about 1% of the original product destined for the landfill.

MallDad is a tech junkie, so I was excited to discover that Costco has a trade-in/recycling program for tech gadgets, including computers, laptops, monitors, mp3 players, printers and more. They’ll give you a free “valuation” on your equipment, the value for which they’ll issue a Costco Cash card. If it isn’t worth anything, they’ll still take it for recycling.

Here’s the web address if you want to check it out:
http://www.greensight.com/CostcoTrades/Common/equiptypes.aspx?SiteXfrMsg=1

Other options to get rid of your unwanted tech gadgets:

1. Donate useable items to a school, church or senior center. The Crisitina Foundation can help you find a needy charity. See www.cristina.org
2. Check out eWaste Services at http://www.ewasteservices.org/who_we_are.htmThe site says it “benefits the community and its environment, but it also provides sustainable employment and job training for disadvantaged adults who have difficulty finding and maintaining long-term employment.”
3. Check out Second Rotation at www.secondrotation.comThey buy cell phones, digital cameras, mp3 players, camcorders and more.
4. Watch your local paper for community recycling events.

Tip for Day 18 – Don’t toss that old computer or TV in the trash. Recycle!