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As any gadget freak worth their circuits can tell you, there's nothing as obsolete as that electronic gear you just bought yesterday. The electronic market is largely built on the concept of planned obsolescence. Today's must-have is tomorrow's has-been.
That's all fine and well for manufacturers, but it has some very bad environmental and health consequences. Outdated electric gadgets containing arsenic, bromine, cadmium, hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), lead, mercury and more end up in landfills leaching their dangerous toxins into your soil and water supply.
Obviously the solution is to recycle, but so far most devices still end up in landfills. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's [http://www.epa.gov/ecycling/faq.htm Plug in to eCycling program], only 15 to 20 percent of our PCs, TVs, cell phones and other electronic devices are being recycled (those figures are from 2005, which is most recent data available).
So how to stop contributing to the electronic landfill?
==Donations==
One possible route is to donate your used computer equipment. However, many well-meaning users and even companies that donate old PCs directly to schools and non-profits -- rather than through a recycler -- can end up passing on more of a burden than a blessing.
Whether or not your PC is a good donation depends on its condition. If it's only a year or two old and still works, make sure you take it to a reputable recycler and you should be okay.
However older gear is often donated with good intentions, but ends up in developing world landfills because it's broken, unusable, too obsolete or unneeded.
==Recycle Through Your Manufacturer==
Many PC makers offer recycling programs. Dell, for example, will take your old PC (regardless of brand) and [http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell_recycling?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs recycle it for you], free of charge when you buy a new Dell. Other manufacturer offer similar programs.
After taking a considerable amount of flack from Greenpeace, Apple has set up a [http://www.apple.com/environment/recycling/program/index.html recycling program] as well which handles your old Macs as well as iPods and other Apple devices. When you make a purchase through the online Apple Store, there's an option to sign up for the Apple Recycling Program.
==Third Party Recycling Options==
The EPA has a [http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/donate.htm list of recommended recyclers] specializing in electronic gear.
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