A new service that allows U.S. consumers and businesses to conveniently recycle unwanted computers and equipment from any manufacturer without adding to landfills was announced by computer maker Hewlett Packard on Monday. The service is part of Hewlett Packard's Planet Partners Program, which includes a broad range of environmental and recycling initiatives. Pricing is based on the quantity and type of product to be returned.
Computers pose a major disposal problem because of the toxic materials used in their construction.
Because even the best landfills can leak liquids and gases into the environment, the chemical and metal byproducts of discarded computers can end up contaminating soil, groundwater and air. Fewer than 10 percent of the high-tech machines are now recycled. Modern electronic computer equipment includes more than 1,000 different materials, including lead and cadmium in computer circuit boards, lead oxide and barium in computer monitors' cathode ray tubes, mercury in switches and flat screens, and brominated flame retardants on printed circuit boards, cables and plastic casing, photo-active and biologically active materials, acids, according to the coalition which has its headquarters in San Jose, where many of the major information technology companies are located. Under Hewlett Packard's program, all computer equipment received will first be evaluated for reuse. Functioning products will be donated to charitable organizations that accept used equipment or will enter into other reuse channels.