Although several news medias reported about the damages created by not properly disposing of old or defective devices, we still see e-waste being piled up in landfills.
This doesn’t make sense since a lot of the components: glass, steel, copper, aluminum, plastics and precious metals – can be recycled and be used again to make new products. Computers are being replaced more frequently than ever before, cellular phones break frequently and electronic is now looked at as a disposable commodity instead of a permanent possession. The average turn-around for replacing a computer is less than 2 years in North America.
The gadgets are not always needed; it’s not all about a real need but normaly just because people just like getting new stuff, with the latest gadgets and blinks. Electronic has become a fashion item that will get disposed when something trendier will hit the market.
Is there a motive for people not recycling their old computers?
A lot of noise has been made by organizations like Greenpeace concerning the poor ethics of some recycling companies having their recycling done in Asia or Africa or simply exporting waste towards those countries. The message from Greenpeace has chocked many individuals and I think the result has not been exactly what was to be expected. The association demonstrated to the whole world how lots of toxics ends being badly recycled in China. We can then deduct that some people and companies are keeping their equipment, not sure if it will ends in a correct place.
It is not a good idea to put our head under the sand and send our electronic to the junk. A few associations like CARI-ACIR are there to make sure that their members are following some rules such as not exporting to third world countries and not sending electronic scrap to landfills. All members are audited and customers can be sure about a proper recycling of their equipment when they send to one of their member.
Some people are still thinking that they could have money returned to them for their e-scrap. Others believe that a company can go pick up the equipment, while properly sorting and separating it, unscrew the plastic pieces from the metal pieces and afford to pay Canadian salaries without charging a cent to their customer. We have to realize that recycling obsolete computers only pay a few cents per kg of material. Those doing free collects and free recycling are clearly doing something wrong if they are not getting paid directly by the authorities to do it. PC Recycle, a company started in 1994 still has to compete against unethical players in the field with no physical place, only running their business from a cellular phone and a pickup truck. Those “recyclers†are keeping what they can sell and the remaining is most probably sent to landfills even though the contrary is being told to their customers. At least, nobody can verify because these false recyclers are not accredited by any organization.
Before taking a company to recycle your e-waste, check around and find who their competition is. If the company does a free recycling, it should raise a red flag. You have to verify that the company taking your recycling is accredited by an association. Make sure also that your recycler would accept to show you his recycling center: a clean recycling will happen from a recycler that is totally transparent in his operations.
Jason Mailley
PC Recycle