A Better Footprint: Recycling Computers

At Fix my PC Store we are doing our part by helping your recycle your electronics.
Specifically your computers. Let’s slightly take a quick look at why this is necessary.

According to UNEP (United Nations Environmental Program) the amount of electronic waste accumulated around the world each and every year is close to 50 million metric tons. 3.2 million tons of this particular electronic waste comes from the United States of America! This is according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This is because, as it turns out, the average state in the US has almost 4.2 million computers being used in every facet like homes, schools, and businesses. The reality is that within the next four or five years, these machines will be outdated. People are getting more and more electronic oriented and this leads to computers getting upgraded all the time meaning the old ones get replaced and thrown out thus making electronics the fastest growing trash product in America. What a lot of people don’t know is that computers a number of toxic chemicals such as mercury, lead oxide, zinc, cadmium and nickel that are very harmful to both the environment and humans.

It is paramount that the public at large knows that almost all the parts in a computer can be recycled and reused.

So what exactly is computer recycling and how do we go about doing it, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you, computer recycling is a process where old computer parts are refurbished into new and usable parts. You have choices when it comes to computer recycling, you can either send it to companies like ours to be cleaned, fixed and resold or even donated to people and places that need it, like NGO’s and schools. The other option is to send it to facility that specializes in recycling, where the various parts will be broken down and then molded into brand new parts.

When I said almost every part of your outdated computer can be recycled, I meant it. To prove it, here is a list: to begin with, the glass monitor, the keyboard, the plastic case, the cables, the copper in the power cord, the CD/DVD Rom drive, the CRT (cathode ray tube), the metal in the circuit board and the battery. See? That’s almost the entire computer.

Okay, now that we know all about recycling computers and what can be recycled, lets look at the main reasons this entire process is necessary. The benefits of recycling anything in this planet are immense. For starters, recycling your electronics reduces landfill space. All these computers getting thrown out have to go somewhere, their cumulative mass is dumped on various designated spaces. This not only deprives us of land that could be used for more beneficial purposes like farming but it also helps increase environmental pollution, which is something we could do with less of.

Dumping your old computers into these landfills results in the release of harmful gases in the air mainly due to the chemicals found within the computer components such as lead. This causes serious health problems to the population living around the landfill area. So what we achieve by recycling them is the creation of less toxic chemical emissions which in turn helps clear the environment of the harmful gases produced by them.

The other thing is, it helps save money, well, for the consumers that might not be you this time round but just might be the next. Refurbished computers are as good as new but only cheaper. So, by recycling your old computer and reselling it at a lower, more affordable rate helps us put a computer in almost every home this leading to reducing the general computer or technological illiteracy levels.

One of the main reasons our planet is dying besides is that we are consuming the available resources slightly faster than what is deemed healthy. So if there is a chance to renew resources, we should jump on it if we know what’s best for us. That is exactly what recycling your computer does. We can reuse almost all the resources that were used in the initial manufacturing process. When you recycle, there is no need to use up more materials that made the original hardware nor the energy that was used in the production process.

Another thing that recycling anything at all, not just computers, is good for is that it helps creates jobs. With tough economic times and unemployment rates that threaten to hit the roof, jobs are something that need to be created in whichever way possible. That is exactly what recycling does. Recycling companies need manpower, the more the material to be recycled, the more the work force needs to be. By recycling your electronics, you are helping feed someone somewhere and as a result, you help build a better stronger economy as a whole. That is by creating new jobs, saving the energy costs and the reduction of resources consumption.

And if all that is not enough to convince you, recycling helps build communities. With all these technological advancement, we as a people are losing touch with our fellow human beings. We are constantly on our computers and ignore everything else. Having a common goal or cause helps forge togetherness. Communities come together to help preserve their environment, or schools or whatever cause they deem fit. Either way, this fosters neighborliness and cooperation.

Either way you look at it, we as a planet need recycling. It serves us in the long and even short run. ‘Fix your PC’ is working hard to make sure your old computers are recycled in the proper manner. To do your part in saving our planet, make sure you recycle your outdated computer.