Electronic Waste And Ewaste Recycling That Is In California

What does someone do with his or her old computer and electronics that are no longer used? There are many places that have free pick up for someone’s electronic waste and ewaste recycling. This is way better for the planet than putting the ewaste in a landfill.



There are many places that take the data discs and will either digitally erase the data seven times. The other thing that they can do is mechanical shred. This way it is always guaranteed that there is no longer any data on the discs. The reason that they do this is for security for that person or national security purposes.



Electronic waste and ewaste recycling is not the only thing that people can do to help the environment. Another is if a company has larger computers that just need to be resold they can do that too. They can refurbish, dismantle, and remove it for resale. But of course if it is not resold in a certain amount of time then the cost of everything will not have to be paid back. If it is sold the company gets at least 70% of the net revenue.


Electronic waste and ewaste recycling has to be done or the landfill will get overrun with too much trash. That is bad for us because it will leave no room for plants and trees. There are many other things that can be recycled besides computers. Another thing that considered ewaste is TVs, cell phones, laptops, and anything like these items.


Just make sure that the place that you choose will do the right thing with the electronic waste and ewaste recycling. Be sure that they recycle it the right way and not just say that they do.

Putting Green IT to Work in Sustainable Business Practices

Putting Green IT to Work in Sustainable Business Practices

By Mark O'Neill

Published May 05, 2010
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/05/05/putting-green-it-work-sustainable-business-practices?page=0%2C0


[Editor's note: This is an excerpt from a new book, Green IT for Sustainable Business Practice, by Mark O’Neill; the excerpt originally appeared on BusinessGreen, and is reprinted with permission.]

An appropriate mantra for any organization committed to green IT should be "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." Organisations should use the green IT program as an ideal opportunity to reduce the amount of legacy IT equipment that is currently installed on their infrastructure.

Replacement of older PCs with energy efficient (Gold EPEAT rating) PCs should be considered, and if this is not financially or logistically viable at least replace any old CRT terminals that are still in use with far more efficient LCD models.

In recent tests, the average energy usage of a traditional 20-inch CRT VGA monitor was sixty three percent higher than a 20-inch wide-screen LCD monitor. Another option for organizations may be to upgrade from a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) to a light-emitting diode (LED).

Another consideration for organizations is to reduce the number of PCs that exist on their infrastructure by ensuring they only provide one PC per user. In fact, many organizations are implementing PC sharing schemes to reduce the PC estate to less than one PC per user. This initiative is becoming more viable and accepted especially as modern workforces nowadays tend to be more fluid than static and job-sharing schemes become more popular.

Away from the workplace, users are already used to sharing PCs, for example when visiting libraries and internet cafes. It is essential of course that security issues are identified and addressed. Whenever an individual uses a computer, its cookies, browser history and other settings save the information that has been accessed. It is therefore essential that all the files and settings are deleted once the user logs off, and before the next user accesses the machine. To ensure the user's data and files are kept safe a robust password and data access process needs to be implemented.

There are many different ways in which an organization can reuse unwanted, retired or legacy infrastructure. A best practice Asset and Configuration Management process will assist an organization in identifying where assets can be re-assigned and reused. A popular practice is the passing on of unwanted infrastructure to schools or charitable organizations. This is an initiative that organizations may wish to manage themselves or carry out using a specialist third party, for example Computer Aid.

In addition to reusing infrastructure, organizations should also consider recycling the remaining infrastructure that cannot be reused. To enable more effective and efficient recycling, organizations should only source electrical products that are designed so they can be easily disassembled to component level, using universally available tools. The ultimate aim for any organization is to ensure no electronic or electrical waste is disposed of in a landfill site.

1) Virtualization to Support green IT

At its simplest level, virtualization allows you to have two or more computers, running two or more completely different environments, on one piece of hardware. For example, with virtualization you can have two different Operating Systems on one system; alternatively, you could host a MS Windows XP desktop and a MS Windows Vista desktop on one workstation. Virtualization essentially decouples users and applications from the specific hardware characteristics of the systems they use.

2) Data Center Management and Improvement

IT data centers are potentially the largest contributor to an organization's carbon footprint and must become more efficient if organizations are going to reduce their overall environmental impact.


Read more: http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/05/05/putting-green-it-work-sustainable-business-practices?page=0%2C0#ixzz0nbOTPwo8

by:By Mark O'Neillhttp://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/05/05/putting-green-it-work-sustainable-business-practices?page=0%2C0

Published May 05, 2010

E-Waste: Dark Side of Digital Age

E-Waste: Dark Side of Digital Age
Kendra Mayfield 01.10.03
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2003/01/57151


These days, it's often cheaper and more convenient to buy a new PC than to upgrade an old one. But what happens to those old computers once they've been abandoned for newer models?

The refuse from discarded electronics products, also known as e-waste, often ends up in landfills or incinerators instead of being recycled. And that means toxic substances like lead, cadmium and mercury that are commonly used in these products can contaminate the land, water and air.

"The fruits of our high-tech revolution are pure poison if these products are improperly disposed of at the end of their useful life," said Ted Smith, founder of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.

On Thursday, Smith's group released its annual Computer Report Card comparing the environmental records of 28 tech firms.

The report, sponsored by the SVTC and the Computer TakeBack Campaign, found most U.S. firms lag behind their Japanese competitors when it comes to the use of hazardous materials, recycling programs and worker health and safety.

The United States generates more e-waste than any other nation, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. More than 4.6 million tons of it entered U.S. landfills in 2000, and that amount is projected to grow fourfold in the next few years.

Some of that waste is recycled. For example, steel, aluminum and copper are often stripped from outdated machines and reused in newer models.

But even recycled parts come at a price. An estimated 50 to 80 percent of e-waste collected in the United States for recycling is exported to areas such as China, India or Pakistan, where workers taking apart the old machines are handling toxic chemicals that can pose serious health problems.

Some manufacturers are beginning to assume greater responsibility for what happens to their products after they become obsolete. For example, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Gateway have recently expanded programs to collect old computer equipment.

The SVTC report card evaluated the firms based upon criteria gleaned from the companies' websites. Only one company, Fujitsu, received a passing grade.

Fujitsu is among a handful of Japanese companies that have developed technologies to eliminate toxic chemicals by developing lead-free products.

"The leadership continues to be by and large the Japanese companies, and the U.S. companies tend to be far behind," Smith said.

"A lot of (U.S. manufacturers') initiatives are piecemeal and not really designed to address the vast majority of consumer concerns," he added. "There is still an enormous amount of computer waste being exported to China."

Japan and the European Union have adopted progressive e-waste recycling laws. The European parliament recently approved two legislative mandates to require manufacturers to cover the recycling and collection costs for their own take-back programs.

Europe's Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive are setting the global standard for computer recycling, Smith said. Under the RoHS initiative, any manufacturer who wants to do business in Europe has to produce lead-free products.

The Computer Report Card says that some U.S. companies have a double standard when it comes to recycling. While some companies have implemented recycling policies in the European Union and Japan, where such programs are mandated, they've yet to do so in the United States.



The report also criticizes Dell's use of federal prison labor to recycle old computers, which it says exposes inmates to toxic chemicals without the same health and safety protections as workers at other facilities.

On Thursday, SVTC staged a demonstration at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to protest Dell's deployment of a prison-labor workforce. Demonstrators pretended they were a prison chain gang breaking up old computers outside the room where CEO Michael Dell was delivering a keynote address.

By changing its recycling policies, Dell could be instrumental in forcing other manufacturers to follow suit, Smith said.

"If they would start matching their industry leadership with environmental leadership, they would really help turn things around," he said.

But Dell insists that its recycling program is environmentally responsible.

"We share the same goal (the protesters) do," said Dell's spokeswoman Michele Glaze. "We don't want computers to end up in landfills either."

Dell's contract with Unicor to implement its recycling program with the help of prison labor is humane and follows all federal laws, Glaze said.

"As Unicor says, these (inmates) are recycling their lives as they recycle these computers," she said.

Meanwhile, officials are trying to hammer out a national solution to the e-waste problem. Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) introduced federal legislation that would require the Environmental Protection Agency to create grants for private and governmental organizations to develop computer-recycling programs.

The National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative is also working on a nationwide plan for recycling electronics that involves manufacturers, retailers, governmental officials and consumers.

"There's still some hope that there could be a national solution, but progress has been slow," said Mike Paparian, a member of the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

Some state legislators are introducing their own bills. California and Massachusetts have made it illegal to discard cathode-ray-tube monitors and televisions in landfills because of the lead content in the glass. Arkansas, Minnesota and Nebraska have also introduced e-waste legislation, and more than a dozen states are planning to introduce initiatives this year, Smith said.

Last September, Gov. Gray Davis vetoed State Senator Byron Sher's electronic waste bill that would have required California electronics manufacturers to add a $10 recycling fee to the price of every computer or TV sold.

HP, which opposes state-mandated recycling fees, aggressively lobbied against the bill. The company said the law would benefit its competitors outside California "who make a significant percentage of their sales over the Internet," according to a company statement.

"We think that federal legislation is (preferable) to a patchwork of state legislation that is burdensome administratively," said Renee St. Denis, HP's product recycling solutions manager.

The company recently announced it would be willing to work with state officials on a solution that would require all U.S. PC manufacturers to cover the costs of recycling old computers based on their market share in California.

"It's significant that (HP) has responded to the governor's call for manufacturers to step up to the plate," Paparian said.

Instead of imposed fees, HP favors a shared responsibility model where local governments and municipalities collect the products and manufacturers recycle them, St. Denis said.

Governor Davis favors a similar model for California, Paparian said.

Senator Sher reintroduced his e-waste bill last December after gaining support from HP and Apple. If the bill is enacted, California could lead the nation in regulating e-waste, supporters say.

"If there is not a nationwide solution at hand, we don't see that as precluding a nation-sized state such as California from reaching a solution," said California EPA spokesman William Rukeyser.



Read More - http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2003/01/57151?currentPage=1

Green Surprises at Apple's Shareholder Meeting

Green Surprises at Apple's Shareholder Meeting
By Conrad MacKerron

Published February 25, 2010
http://www.greenercomputing.com/blog/2010/02/25/green-surprises-apples-shareholder-meeting

Who would have thought that one of the world's hottest, richest companies would spend about a third of its annual meeting discussing sustainability, melting glaciers and the finer points of reporting about greenhouse gas emissions? That's what happened at today's Apple Inc. shareholder meeting.


There were two shareholder proposals on the proxy, one of them from As You Sow, where I work, calling for the company to set greenhouse gas reduction goals and do a better job of environmental and corporate responsibility reporting in general. A second proposal, from Harrington Investments, asked the company to establish a permanent board committee on sustainability.

Normally we get our two minutes to speak and then the meeting veers back to more pressing matters such as how Apple should spent $25 billion in cash it's sitting on. However, a politically conservative investor started off the meeting commenting that the glaciers were not melting, climate change was not real, and Board Member Al Gore had become a laughingstock. This prompted a swift rebuttal from another shareholder in support of Mr. Gore, and the company's social and environmental performance went on to curiously pervade much of the meeting.

A question about our proposal, suggesting that the company do a better job on sustainability reporting, led CEO Steve Jobs to minimize the value of reporting, commenting that sustainability groups like to have companies generate lots of reports, make specific commitments, and schmooze at conferences.


"We don't trumpet" all the good things we do, we just try to do the right thing, he said. The problem with this line of argument is that it allows companies to selectively report on things they are making progress on and conveniently avoid dealing with issues they may be ignoring.

Although corporate responsibility reports by Dell and HP may have some greenwash, the benefit of those reports is to set out specific goals and key performance indicators and then discuss how well they have met them.

Another investor began to spontaneously engage Mr. Jobs in a lengthy exchange about the value of product environmental reports posted on Apple's website. The company says the reports "show the complete environmental footprint of every new Apple product so you can see how each one affects the planet."


For example, the report on the iPhone 3GS says it will use an "estimated" 55 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) over its life cycle. The problem is, there's no useful context for this information. As this investor pointed out, until you develop uniform test protocols for all products and list competitor products side by side, the reports aren't very helpful.

We are pleased the company did a life cycle analysis looking at the carbon implications of raw materials, production, use and disposal of its products. But without providing source data and methodologies used, and establishing common industry yardsticks, it's very difficult for stakeholders to make fair comparisons and understand whether Apple or its competitors are acting aggressively to evaluate and control carbon emissions.

Mr. Jobs said his company is a clear leader in areas like removing toxic chemicals, recycling and workers rights -- and he's right, Apple is now strong in all of those areas. But the company didn't become a leader because of its own proactive internal moral compass.

It didn't really move on some aspects of toxics reduction, at least publicly, until Greenpeace made the company the object of a high profile campaign.

It didn't move on e-waste recycling until As You Sow and activist groups pressed the company on the issue for several years
It didn't have a supplier code of conduct to protect the workers who make its products until 2005 when Domini Social Investments pressed the company on the issue. Gap, Nike, Walt Disney Co. Wal-Mart and other retail giants adopted supply chain codes back in the mid-1990s.


The problems associated with achieving environmental sustainability remain daunting. But it was refreshing to see investors veer away from their usual preoccupation with why the company is not paying a dividend long enough to acknowledge that we must do better to plan how companies like Apple can continue to thrive in a future of limited raw materials and constrained carbon.

Even though it doesn't want to talk about it, we think Apple is paying more attention to these issues and we look forward to them sharing more about what they are doing.

Where Old TVs Go When They Die?

Where Old TVs Go When They Die?
By Lisa Jo Rudy

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 9:56 AM ET
http://www.tonic.com/article/new-laws-require-safe-recycling-of-electronics/
 
Where do old computers and televisions go when they die?


The answer isn't simple, because old computers and televisions are loaded with toxic chemicals such as lead and mercury. Toss them with the trash and they wind up in a landfill. From the landfill the chemicals leach into the ground, finding their way into the aquifer. And, of course, from the aquifer they make their way into your drinking water.

In many states, it's against the law to toss electronics out with the trash. As a result, many old fax machines, telephones and TV sets sat in basements and attics.

Then, states began to take action. In 2005, Maine was one of the first of 18 states to approve laws that make manufacturers responsible for recycling electronics. Washington passed a similar law this past January. Response has been impressive, according to an article in the New York Times.

Once the materials arrive at the recycling location they're taken apart. Machine parts that are in good condition may be refurbished and reused. Items in poor condition are separated into their constituent parts — glass, plastic, precious metals — and recycled.

Most importantly, heavy metals and other toxins are safely removed and disposed of, eliminating the problem of contaminated drinking water and airborne pollutants from incinerated devices.


http://www.tonic.com/article/new-laws-require-safe-recycling-of-electronics/

E-Waste Drop-Off Kiosk in San Diego?

ATM Recycles Gadgets for Cash!
By Steve Tanner

Thursday, October 8, 2009 9:00 AM ET
http://www.tonic.com/article/ecoatm-recycle-gadgets-get-cash/
 
A trip to the ATM usually results in a pocketful of cash, along with a dent in your bank account, but a new kiosk manufactured by ecoATM takes your old mobile phones and other gadgets for recycling and gives you something in return.


The San Diego-based start-up installed its first machine at an Omaha, Neb., furniture store on October 1, according to an article by CNET News. You gotta start somewhere, right?

The kiosk is one smart piece of machinery, though. It uses digital cameras to electronically inspect your unwanted device and somehow assigns a value. If your old Nintendo Game Boy or Motorola Razr is worth anything, the kiosk spits out a trade-up coupon (i.e. for a new phone), gift card or charitable donation of your choice.

If the gadget is worthless, then at least the kiosk offers a convenient way to keep e-waste out of landfills. And according to the article, "Consumers could still get a free gift for their efforts -- in Omaha's case, a waterproof phone case. And in a green nod, EcoATM will plant a tree for them."

Like most other brilliant ideas, this presents a win-win-win-win relationship for consumers (convenience and credit), on-site retailers (increased foot traffic), gadget-makers (great marketing opportunity) and, of course, Mother Earth. The kiosks are free for retailers interested in housing them. Also, businesses can use the ecoATM for charitable efforts by, for example, putting the kiosks in the office and pledging $1 toward a given charity for every device deposited into the machine.

The company is, of course, planning a larger roll-out beyond the Omaha furniture store; but if you live in Nebraska, have an old phone that needs recycling and you're in the market for a new kitchen table, then by all means check it out.


http://www.tonic.com/article/ecoatm-recycle-gadgets-get-cash/