Ceramic engineering uses high-temperature processing to convert processed and raw materials, typically clay or sand, into inorganic, nonmetallic solids such as brick, glass, electronic components, nuclear fuel, abrasives, engine components and household goods like tableware. Among the most pioneering of the greening projects, one targeted at the coming landfill dilemma, are personal computer take-back programs. Last July, IBM Japan began a pilot program offering incentives to encourage shoppers to exchange their old PCs for store credits based on the market value of the used equipment. The stores then deliver the used PCs to designated service centers, which upgrade the processor and hard drive. First tested in Sagamihara and Yokohama, IBM expects the program to expand in the future.
Similar product take-back programs are the law in several European countries now.
In Sweden, metal from circuit boards, cables, and other computer components are already being recycled through an IBM project. Stateside, product and packaging take-back programs increasingly serve as topics at conferences and trade group meetings and inside electronics and computer firms. Whether the programs can work in the United States, say industry analysts, depends on the viability of the reuse infrastructure, consumer support, and broad participation of major manufacturers. Powering the greening trend, according to Wayne Young, an ACerS member and senior engineer at IBM in San Jose, Calif., is a growing industry awareness that simply complying with outside regulations learning the rules, hiring experts to keep up with changes, paying fines when problems arise will no longer do. Instead, he argues, engineers need to go beyond the regulations and design products that exceed compliance thresholds in the process, saving money, pleasing consumers and, most importantly, preventing pollution.