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The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 2.7 tons of electronics were thrown away in 2007--including computers. This is dangerous to the environment because computers contain hazardous chemicals, including lead and mercury. Recycling your computer helps keep these hazards out of soil and ground water. Computers also contain precious metals and recycling reduces the need to create new electronic components, which helps lower emissions.
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Not all recycling centers take electronics or computers. Those who wish to recycle their computers have to find places that specifically recycle computers, or participate in the EPA's eCycling program. Many computer manufacturers will take your old computer. Because of sensitive information on hard drives, most people choose to destroy those before recycling the computer. Once the computers are collected, they are organized so all the laptops are in one bin, keyboards in another, monitors in yet another, and so on.
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People tend to purchase new computers every few years to get a faster processor or new features. But their old computers generally work just fine. When the computers are dropped off at recycling centers, they are checked to see if they still work. Some recycling centers will request that people voluntarily tell them what is wrong with the computer, what works and what doesn't. Computers that work, but may be a little old, could simply be donated. Recycling centers may work with organizations that can replace hard drives and batteries. These computers may end up at schools, shelters or other non-profit organizations. Computers that still work but are too outdated, may be sent to other countries where people in impoverished communities can learn to use this technology. Even if computers cannot be reused, some of their parts can. Computer monitors, keyboards and other components are checked to see if they can be reused. It's similar to restoring an old car. People go to the local junkyard and take parts from different wrecked vehicles to create one good car that runs. The keyboard from one computer could be paired with a monitor from another, and its tower rebuilt from several different computers. Although you probably won't find a re-built computer in an electronics store, the computer could end up at the local women's shelter as a donation.
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If your computer cannot be reused, it is stripped down and its individual pieces are recycled. The plastic portions are recycled, the glass in your computer screen, and even the metals are sent to smelters to be recycled. Hazardous chemicals like lead are disposed of according to federal and state regulations which differ from state to state.
