Friday, November 5, 2010

Reasons for recycling

Obsolete computers or other electronics are a valuable source for secondary raw materials, if treated properly; if not treated properly, they are a source of toxins and carcinogens. Rapid technology change, low initial cost, and even planned obsolescence have resulted in a fast-growing surplus of computer or other electronic components around the globe. Technical solutions are available, but in most cases a legal framework, a collection system, logistics, and other services need to be implemented before a technical solution can be applied. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an estimated 30 to 40 million surplus PCs, which it classifies under the term "hazardous household waste",[2] will be ready for end-of-life management in each of the next few years. The U.S. National Safety Council estimates that 75% of all personal computers ever sold are now surplus electronics.[3]

In 2007, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that more than 63 million computers in the U.S. were traded in for replacements—or they simply were discarded. Today 15 percent of electronic devices and equipment are recycled in the United States. Most electronic waste is sent to landfills or becomes incinerated, having a negative impact on the environment by releasing materials such as lead, mercury, or cadmium into the soil, groundwater, and atmosphere.

Many materials used in the construction of computer hardware can be recovered in the recycling process for use in future production. Reuse of tin, silicon, iron, aluminum, and a variety of plastics — all present in bulk in computers or other electronics — can reduce the costs of constructing new systems. In addition, components frequently contain copper, gold, and other materials valuable enough to reclaim in their own right.
Dismantled Sony Vaio PCG-982L and Compaq JBL Professional laptops.

Computer components contain valuable elements and substances suitable for reclamation, including lead, copper, and gold. They also contain many toxic substances, such as dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), cadmium, chromium, radioactive isotopes, and mercury. A typical computer monitor may contain more than 6% lead by weight, much of which is in the lead glass of the cathode ray tube (CRT). A typical 15-inch computer monitor may contain 1.5 pounds of lead,[2] but other monitors have been estimated as having up to 8 pounds of lead.[1] Circuit boards contain considerable quantities of lead-tin solders and are even more likely to leach into groundwater or to create air pollution via incineration. Additionally, the processing required to reclaim the precious substances (including incineration and acid treatments) may release, generate, and synthesize further toxic byproducts.

A major computer or electronic recycling concern is export of waste to countries with lower environmental standards. Companies may find it cost-effective in the short term to sell outdated computers to less developed countries with lax regulations. It is commonly believed that a majority of surplus laptops are routed to developing nations as "dumping grounds for e-waste".[4] The high value of working and reusable laptops, computers, and components (e.g., RAM) can help pay the cost of transportation for a large number of worthless "commodities". Broken monitors, obsolete circuit boards, and short-circuited transistors are difficult to spot in a containerload of used electronics.

The Operating System (OS)

The Operating System (OS) is an integral part of your computer. It acts as an interpreter between the different application software programs and your computer. The OS can understand the data, information and commands used by different programs because those programs are written or coded specifically for that Operating System's interface, using it's standard rules, commands and protocols. It then translates the many commands and information into procedures the computer can understand. Computers are not of much use without an operating system.
Just a quick note on Operating Systems. As I said before, your computer will not work without one. The accepted practice in most stores is to sell computers with operating systems.
Recently, I was buying a computer for a customer and one particular store had prices considerably lower than others. Of course, there were the usual price cutting features, smaller hard drive, cheaper video card, less RAM, etc..., but it would serve the purpose. They offered the choice of Windows98 or 2000, which was really nice of them... considering the fact that you had to buy it off the shelf!
If you wanted an Operating System with your computer, it was going to cost you extra!
Make sure of what you're getting!
(No, I didn't buy there

FRU (Field Replaceable Unit)

It may only take 5 minutes to replace a particular FRU (Field Replaceable Unit), but it might require a lot more time to troubleshoot the problem and discover which module needs replacement.
Even if you don't plan on becoming A+ (A Plus) Certified, if you've come this far you must have an interest in computers. This is a great place to learn about what's inside that case.
Start this section with ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) precautions and work your way through in order. Once you understand ESD and the precautions you should take, go ahead and open the case. See if you can find the different components, connectors, and devices discussed. When you do, try and discover everything you can about it. What kind of chip is it? What does it do? What kind of socket does it fit into? How much data can it move at once? How fast is it?
If you have room on your desk, you can run your computer with the cover off * so you can look inside as you read (keep your hands out).
*Note: Only run your system with the cover off for a short period of time. Contrary to popular belief, leaving the cover off can interrupt the airflow, actually contributing to overheating in some cases. For short periods of time it should be OK. In fact, its often necessary when troubleshooting hardware. Its also a good time to make sure the CPU fan is working properly!
By the time you're done, you'll be removing and reinstalling some of the devices inside.
Look around for an old 286 or 386 computer. They can be picked up for less than 50 dollars, in working condition. Whether it's working, or not, you can learn an awful lot by taking it apart and putting it back together.
Please Remember: Do Not take apart a monitor or power supply, there is enough stored electricity inside to cause you serious injury!
Good luck, and always remember your ESD precautions!