The importance of recycling computers: an update on electronics toxicity. (EH Update).

Desktop computers are built with materials that contain toxic chemicals and are regarded as hazardous waste. Color monitors routinely fail toxicity characteristic leachate procedure (TCLP) tests, and testing in progress for other electronics indicates that CPUs, servers, and cell phones are unlikely to pass TCLP tests.

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, it is illegal for businesses to put hazardous waste in the trash. Nevertheless, many computers, televisions, and other electronics still find their way to landfills or waste-to-energy facilities. It is estimated that more than 20 million PCs become obsolete yearly in the United States, representing a mounting pile--hundreds of thousands of tons--of lead, mercury, chromium, silver, and battery acids from nickel-cadmium, lithium, or sealed lead-acid batteries.

When electronic equipment reaches the end of its useful life, the businesses that own them should plan to recycle, donate, or otherwise ensure that they are not put in the trash. Dumping electronics is illegal, and under CERCLA legislation, downstream liability may accrue to the original owner for improper disposal of hazardous wastes. State laws vary; Massachusetts, for instance, has banned disposal of CRTs in landfills or waste-to-energy plants.

The infrastructure for recycling old computers and electronics is evolving rapidly around the world. The European Union passed a law in December 2002 mandating that manufacturers of electronics pay for the cost of taking back and recycling old equipment; the law goes into effect in September 2005.

In the United States, legislation on this issue is proceeding on a state-by-state basis, although the National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative, a multi-stakeholder discussion among equipment manufacturers, state and local governments, environmental advocacy groups, and other nongovernmental organizations, is expected to put forward a recommendation that will increase manufacturer responsibility in the United States. More information is available on the Web at http://www.nepsi.org. Or contact Anne Peters of Gracestone, Inc., by e-mail at [e-mail] or by phone at [phone].