How to recycle old computers

Tag : Used Computer Equipment

The provincial government is admirably trying to come to grips withOntario's waste problem, which sees too much garbage chasing toofew disposal sites, thanks to NIMBYism. The alternative is thethree-R approach: reduce, reuse and recycle.
The latest governmental initiative, announced yesterday, is aprogram to divert more electronic equipment – notably,obsolete computers and TVs – from landfill. Under theprogram, manufacturers and importers will be assessed a recyclingfee ($13 for a desktop computer, $10 for a TV), which will almostcertainly be passed on to the consumer. The fee is expected toraise $62 million in the first year and will pay for recyclinginitiatives, including 650 drop-off locations across the provinceto which consumers may bring their used computers and TVs. The aimis to divert some 60 per cent of computers and TV sets fromlandfill – up from an estimated 27 per cent today.
"I think there are a lot of old computers and televisions inbasements and garages, and people are wondering what the heck arewe going to do with these darn things," says Premier DaltonMcGuinty. "Well, we've got to take some responsibility to deal withthese, and we can create some jobs at the same time."
All well and good. But where's the incentive for the consumer totake an old computer or TV to a drop-off location? Why notinstitute a deposit/return system, with part of the new fee beingrefunded for each computer or TV brought back? In the beer sector,a deposit/return system spurs recycling of more than 90 per cent ofbottles and cans.
The government argues that computers and TVs often change handsseveral times before being disposed of, so the end user is not thesame as the original buyer. Furthermore, a deposit/return systemfor computers and TVs would supposedly require the creation of ahuge fund with associated "accountability" problems.
These arguments do not hold water. First of all, who cares whoultimately benefits from the deposit at the end of the line as longas there is an incentive to recycle? Secondly, a pay-as-you-gosystem, with this year's deposits being used to pay for previousyears' sales, would not require a large stand-alone fund to becreated.
In rejecting a deposit/return system, the government is effectivelycounting on Ontarians to be good citizens and lug their oldcomputers and TVs to drop-off depots even though there is nofinancial reward for them. "We believe they will do the rightthing," says Glenda Gies, executive director of Waste DiversionOntario, the agency that will oversee the recycling effort.
Maybe so. But maybe not.