They become obsolete. In 1998 alone, nearly 21 million computers became obsolete. Yet according to the National Recycling Coalition, only about 11 percent of computer equipment is recycled, and another 3 percent is reused. Fortunately, the number of personal computers being recycled is increasing and by 2005 is expected to reach some 60 million units a year, according to the Electronic Product Recovery and Recycling Baseline Report. What's in a Computer Part of the challenge facing schools wanting to recycle computers and other electronic devices has to do with what they are made of.
Different components are recyclable to a different extent.
Next they recover usable parts such as disk drives, memory, and microprocessors. Then they begin separating the materials that are left. The steel can be sold for scrap and printed wiring boards and components sold for their precious metal content. Most of the plastic, which makes up the PC enclosure, the monitor housing, keyboards, mouse devices, the printer housing, and other parts, can be recycled or used as a fuel in some industrial processes. The exception is when the plastic cannot be completely separated from metals, rubber, or painted coatings.